


This Love (Calling My Name)

by Poetinprogress1234



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:02:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 30,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22883722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poetinprogress1234/pseuds/Poetinprogress1234
Summary: "My, my, my Josie; Don't you know that it is rude not to acknowledge someone when they are talking to you?", Penelope scolded in a brash tone that succeeded in capturing Josie's full attention. "There- that's much better. Wouldn't want anyone thinking the school's resident teacher's pet had a backbone."Penelope and Josie's journey from enemies to friends to lovers, and back again.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson & Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson & Lizzie Saltzman, Josie Saltzman & Lizzie Saltzman, Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 75
Kudos: 341





	1. Chapter 1

"Saltzman!" Penelope Park hollered, stopping the small brunette in her tracks. Her grip on her books tightened, and she began to shake with nerves. There was only one reason that Penelope would take time out of her day to acknowledge Josie's existence: the girl was looking to pick a fight, and Josie had been her unfortunate target. Josie wanted to run, but she seemed to be stuck in her place; Of course Penelope Park would use an immobility spell to make sure Josie couldn't escape. The click of Penelope's heels sounded down the hall, and in a matter of moments, the raven-haired girl was standing in front of Josie, her coven behind her, anticipating what Penelope would do. Josie swallowed hard, avoiding Penelope's eyes. Penelope, unsatisfied to not have Josie's sole attention on her, snapped her fingers twice, inducing Josie's brown eyes to face her own. Behind her hazel irises, Josie could see the mischievous glint in the girl's eyes. If Josie hadn't been disturbed before, she was now. The only thing worse than being targeted by the head witch was being tracked down when Penelope was in a bad mood. It seemed to be Josie's lucky day because Penelope was smirking at her with a look that would make the devil cry. "My, my, my Josie; Don't you know that it is rude not to acknowledge someone when they are talking to you?", Penelope scolded in a brash tone that succeeded in capturing Josie's full attention. "There- that's much better. Wouldn't want anyone thinking the school's resident teacher's pet had a backbone." Penelope snatched the books from Josie's hands, and as much as she wanted to Josie could do nothing to stop her. "These notebooks look pretty heavy. Maybe we should give her some assistance, hmm, ladies?" The gang of witches snickered behind her, some even cheering Penelope on. Penelope swept her hand over the books, watching Josie's horrified reaction as they were reduced to ash right in front of her eyes.

Penelope laughed at Josie's panicked look, instigating the others behind her to do the same. "Aww, what are you going to do, Josette? Go cry to daddy about it.", she teased, eliciting more laughter. "Everyone in this school knows that you're the most vulnerable witch here- you're barely a witch at all. You and your crazy ass sister don't belong here." Penelope uncast the spell over Josie, causing the girl to tumble to the ground. Josie looked up at Penelope in disbelief- she had barely ever said more than a few words to the witch in the entirety of the time she had known her. Josie just didn't understand how someone could be so cruel to someone they barely knew. Penelope flipped her hair over her shoulder, shooing Josie away from her presence. "Go and run along now; I'm growing quite bored with you, anyway." She spun on her heels, walking off as the other witches followed her obediently. Josie collected herself from up off the floor, reluctantly walking to her environmental magic class empty-handed. The professor- known to be one of the more stringent teachers in the Salvatore school- scolded her for being late, then again when she realized that Josie had come to class unprepared. Josie apologized profusely, slinking away to the seat in the back corner of the room. She kept her head down for most of the course, taking notes on a loose sheet of paper. Without her class notes, Josie struggled through the pop quiz the professor threw at them right before the lesson had ended; Josie knew her grade point average would suffer as a result, but couldn't muster the energy to care, especially after the events of the morning. She was beyond relieved when the bell finally rung, signaling that her classes were done for the day.

To Josie's relief, she made it to her father's office without running into Penelope and her posse again. She knocked on the heavy oak door, peeking into the room. Alaric Saltzman looked up at the entrance, smiling when he realized it was only his daughter. "Yes, Damon, I'm going to have to call you back. Rerun those numbers and report them to Caroline.", he spoke into the phone, hanging it up without waiting for a reply. He motioned for Josie to come inside, and she did so, closing the door behind her to give them privacy. "Hello, honey. I'm glad you came by- I know it's been a few days since I've been able to see you girls.", he rambled, shuffling through his paperwork while he spoke. "Come have a seat. How are your classes? Still getting good grades, I hope?" Josie squirmed in her seat, nodding her head solemnly. Her father, oblivious to his daughter's discomfort, gave her an encouraging grin. "That's my girl." He praised, making Josie fidget under his attention's weight. "Is there something specific you came in here for, sweetheart?" Josie sighed. "Yeah, there is. I ran out of notebooks, and I need a few for class.", Josie admitted, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. Alaric frowned.  
"That's the third time this semester, Josie. Where is all this paper going?" Josie swallowed hard, biting back the urge to tell her father the truth. If she did so, she would only be proving Penelope Park right- Josie really didn't have a backbone. "Just a lot of notetaking, dad.", she lied. "I just need a few dollars to go into town and buy some." Alaric eyed Josie suspiciously, inquisitions sitting on the tip of his tongue, but was cut off from asking anything further when the phone rang on his desk. He turned his attention away from Josie, picking up the phone off of its receiver. "Salvatore School for the young and gifted- Dr. Saltzman is speaking.", he answered. He listened for a moment before holding his hand over the speaker. "Josie, honey, you're going to have to excuse me. I must take this phone call.", he explained, causing Josie to sigh with relief that she was no longer under interrogation. "Do you think ten dollars will cover the cost of those notebooks you need?" he asked, already unzipping his wallet with one hand as he held the phone in the other. Josie nodded, and Alaric hastily handed the money over to her. Josie slipped the bill into her pocket, deciding against saying goodbye to her father as she left. He wouldn't have heard her even if she did.

He never did.  
___________________________________________________________________  
"C'mon, Jo," Hope moaned, pulling the notebook out from under Josie's pen. "Don't you want to get out of this stuffed up room? Come with me to this party- I promise you won't regret it." Josie sighed in frustration, taking the notebook back from Hope's hands. "Thanks to Penelope, I have three months of information to copy down. Even if I wanted to come, I need to get my work done. The quarter is almost over, and I cannot leave for winter break without having at least a B plus." Hope rolled her eyes, stepping out of the room quickly. Josie had assumed that their conversation was over and returned to her work, but moments later, Hope returned, holding her yellow notebook. Taking the other off Josie's bed, she murmured a spell over it. When Hope was done, she opened it and threw it back on Josie's bed. The previously pristine pages were filled with all the information Josie needed. Josie glanced up at Hope, amazed. Hope simply shrugged. "Copycat spell; Learned it after the last time Penelope incinerated your stuff. Which is getting really old, by the way. I mean, you'd think she'd come up with some new material by no-" Hope was cut off by Josie's arms enclosing around her waist. Hope returned the hug, chuckling to herself. "Yeah, yeah- you're eternally grateful.", Hope quipped, shaking her head as Josie pulled away. "Get dressed- we're leaving for the mill in fifteen." She looked Josie up and down, her brow furrowed in concentration. "You should wear that black dress your mom got you; You'd look smoking in it." Josie rolled her eyes, tossing a throw pillow at Hope just as she closed the bedroom door. Even with the room sealed, Josie could still hear Hope's laughter through the thin walls as she returned to her room.

Josie opened her side of the wardrobe that she and Lizzie shared, scrutinizing the rack of clothes. Most of them were almost identical copies of the same uniform skirt and shirt combination that she wore every day, pressed and wrinkle-free. The rest were articles of clothes either Lizzie or Hope had forced her to buy for herself- skimpy dresses shoved to the back of the wardrobe, crop tops that Josie refused to wear outside the confines of her room, and mini-skirts that were too short for Josie's taste. Josie stopped rifling through the closet, her fingertips meeting the material of the dress Hope had mentioned. Josie bit her lip, taking the hanger down from the rack. It was a lovely dress, she supposed- cut slightly off her shoulders, coming down to just above her knees, flowing down into a skater-style skirt. Her mother had bought both her and Lizzie matching ones for their fifteenth birthday, and Josie hadn't touched it since putting it into the closet when they arrived back to the school. She felt mad even to consider wearing it- the weather outside was chilled at best, and she was surely going to freeze if she dared to follow Hope's advice. She was about to put the dress back in the wardrobe, but she stopped herself. Josie walked over to the mirror in the corner of the room, holding the dress up to her body. Josie unzipped her skirt, throwing that and her shirt into her clothes hamper. She slipped the dress over her head, studying herself in the mirror. Hope was right- it did compliment her features nicely, even if it was something Josie would never pick out for herself. Without giving herself time to change her mind, Josie grabbed her purse and exited the room.

Maybe stepping outside of her comfort zone was what Josie needed.  
______________________________________________________________  
Josie knew she should never have left her room.

It was only an hour into the party, and Josie was eager to go home. The music playing from the speaker someone had brought played way too loud, the bass pumping in her ears and giving her a massive headache. Hope had disappeared somewhere with her boyfriend Landon once they'd arrived, neglecting Josie to fend for herself among the ever-increasing crowd of people. She should've felt awkward, out of place among the masses, but being the only sober person, the only one to notice her anxiety was her. Surrounding her were pairs of people, grinding drunkenly into each other or drinking way too much alcohol than they should. It appeared that everyone from the Salvatore school had come to the party, save for one particular raven-haired witch- Penelope Park. Josie was sure that Penelope would have been at the center of the party scene, but she was nowhere to be seen. Relief washed over Josie- at least she wouldn't cross the raven-haired witch's path for the second time, she thought to herself. The thought eased her.

Even with Penelope out of the way, however, Josie still found the company to be insufferable. She knew if she didn't remove herself from the situation, and fast, she would be driven absolutely mad. Checking that Hope was in safe hands- meaning that Landon still had his eye on the drunken redhead- Josie dipped out of the multitude of people, starting back on the path back towards the school grounds. The second she was away from the heavy music and noise, Josie felt herself relax. Aside from the chilled air, it was a beautiful night. The crescent moon shone with just enough light that Josie could see the path in front of her, and the tranquil silence was what Josie craved. She decided to take the lengthier route back home to have the extra few moments to herself.

The first time Josie heard it- the faint, muffled wail that brought goosebumps to her already clammy skin- Josie brushed it off as just being the wind playing tricks on her. The second time, however, it was unmistakable that the noise wasn't due to the nature around her. Someone was nearby, Josie realized; not only were they close, but Josie was adjacent enough to hear their agonized cries. Josie hesitantly followed the sound, wading through the brush to reach the noise's source: the dock. There, she found a figure sitting on the edge of the wooden platform, a half-full bottle of tequila resting at their body's side. In their hands was a purple crystal, their eyes trained on the water, their knees pulled up to their chest. Josie recognized what type of stone the person was holding- a perception crystal. A hazy glow emitted from it, projecting a vision that Josie could not make out. Realizing she had wandered in on a private moment, Josie retreated away from the dock. Unluckily, she failed to notice the pile of branches under her foot until the snapping already echoed into the air.

The figure stood quickly, seizing the crystal tightly as it turned to face Josie's direction. Josie ducked down, her hand placed over her mouth to stop the surprised gasp from leaving her throat. Through the brush, she watched as Penelope analyzed the area around her carefully, wiping the tears away from her eyes. "I don't know who you are, but you better show yourself before I find you and kick your ass.", Penelope growled, glaring at the darkness. Her voice was still hoarse from crying, and the threat appeared to be empty by the way Penelope had her arms wrapped protectively around herself. Josie stayed still, praying to every god she could recall that Penelope wouldn't move any closer. When Josie thought she was surely caught in her actions, Penelope picked up her jacket from the dock, tossing the half-empty liquor bottle into the lake. After a moment's hesitation, she hurled the crystal in after it. The sullen girl shrugged on her coat, looking back in Josie's direction one more time before starting down the path back to the party.

Josie exhaled a sigh of relief, waiting until Penelope was out of view before heading in the opposite direction toward the school. She crept through the dimly lit halls, casting a sound barrier to assure that she wouldn't accidentally wake anyone as she retreated to her room. Once Josie reached the door, she eased open the door, settling into bed with a weary groan. While Lizzie was sound asleep on the opposite side of the room, Josie lay awake, gazing up at the ceiling as her thoughts wandered. As she pondered the night's events, she realized that she had never seen Penelope cry before. Surely, Josie wasn't alone in that thought- it was rare for Penelope to show any emotion at all. She was known for her bitchy attitude, stone-cold disposition, and lack of remorse for just about anything. At the dock, the girl was the stark contrast of the person Josie knew Penelope to be: she was vulnerable, both physically and emotionally. If Penelope ever found out that Josie had found her, alone and unguarded, she would surely make sure Josie lived to regret it. So, Josie decided to keep what was witnessed to herself. Still, no matter how much she tried to forget about it, she couldn't shake the image of Penelope's tear-stained face from her mind.   
_______________________________________________________________  
By the time Josie returned from visiting her mother during their holiday break, she had forgotten the events that had happened the night of the party. That was until she caught sight of the young witch walking through the halls. It was one of the rare times that Penelope wasn't dressed to the nines, instead sporting a worn sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants. She must have been coming back from showering because she held a bag of toiletries, her face bare of any makeup. Josie only caught Penelope's eyes for a second, but in the few moments their eyes locked, Josie could mark the exhaustion in them. The ordinarily self-confident girl had lost her intimidating spark, and instead of trying to frighten Josie into looking away from her vulnerability, she simply ignored her existence altogether. Penelope passed Josie, entering her room before slamming the door shut behind her. For the rest of the day, Josie did not see her again. Josie should have been relieved that she dodged Penelope's torment, but instead, she was left feeling unsettled. If Penelope had merely offended her, riled her up with that irritating smirk on her face, Josie would have been able to comfortably brush off her anxiety for the state of Penelope's mental health. Instead, when Penelope disappeared through the doorway without a single snarky remark in Josie's direction, she was only left more bothered than before. 

The feeling accompanied Josie around throughout the day. She couldn't distract herself from it; Not even when she was with Lizzie and their friends, catching up with each other after being separated for three weeks. She scanned the cafeteria, unsettled when she couldn't locate the person she was looking for. "Earth to Josie!" Hope exclaimed, waving her hand in front of Josie's face. "Are you okay? You've been spacing out on us." Josie's attention snapped back to her friends, who were all watching her expectantly. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine, guys. Must just still be jet-lagged." She absentmindedly picked apart the salad in front of her, aware that she wasn't going to be eating it anyway. "How did your aunt's Christmas party go, Hope?" Josie half-listened as Hope erupted into a rant about her family, her focus inevitably falling back on the empty spot at the table where Penelope would typically sit. In her absence, the other witches in Penelope's coven looked out of place, lost without her direction. The whole atmosphere of the room felt off- unnaturally quiet without the constant chatter coming from them. Josie stabbed another piece of lettuce with her fork, frowning to herself. What had possibly happened to make Penelope Park isolate herself entirely from the student body she usually held complete command over?   
____________________________________________________________  
Josie must have had a death wish. 

That's what it felt like standing in front of the door to Penelope's door, trying to build up enough nerve to knock; she felt incredibly stupid, risking her wellbeing at the hands of the person she had come to make sure was okay. If anyone saw her now, they would think she was insane; Luckily for her, the other students had retreated to their rooms after dinner, most likely struggling to finish the homework they had neglected to complete over the break. If Josie left now, no one would know; No one would hold it against her to ignore the feeling in her gut and walk away. No one, Josie realized, but herself; Because deep down Josie knew that something was upsetting Penelope, even if no one else seemed to notice it. Josie knew what it was like to be overlooked, and if Penelope slammed the door in her face? Well, at least she would still know that one person inside the Salvatore school cared enough to check in and make sure she was okay. So, Josie took a deep breath before raising her hand to the door and knocking before she could have a better mind to stop herself. 

After twenty-two seconds of intense anticipation, the door to Penelope's dorm opened, revealing the shorter witch to Josie. The look of confusion on Penelope's face morphed into surprise, then disgust. "What the hell do you want, Saltzman?" she grumbled, folding her arms in front of her chest, covering the emblem of an obscure rock band Josie didn't recognize on her shirt. Josie stepped back, fighting the urge to run away from Penelope's cold gaze. "You didn't show up to dinner.", Josie explained, willing her hands to stop shaking in Penelope's presence. "I wanted to make sure you were okay." Penelope didn't react, instead just staring Josie down with an unreadable expression. Josie held up the plastic bag in her hands, offering it to Penelope. "I brought you a sandwich and some water; Y'know, in case you get hungry." Penelope took the bag from her hands, eyeing Josie skeptically. The brunette swallowed hard, shuffling awkwardly in front of the door. "So, uh, I'll just leave you to do...whatever it was you were doing.", Josie mumbled, stumbling over her words under the intensity of Penelope's stare. "Have a good night, Penelope." Josie spun on her heels, walking in the other direction towards her dorm. She was halfway down the hall before Penelope shouted out her name, causing her to turn back. 

She didn't hear the words, but she could almost imagine the words of gratitude falling from her lips from Penelope's uneasy expression.  
_____________________________________________________  
"Okay, class.", Mr. Wilson roared, cracking his knuckles in a way that made Josie flinch. "Now that Dr. Saltzman has added offensive magic to the curriculum, I am required to teach you how to protect yourselves. Which means, from now on, every Tuesday and Thursday, we will be paring up to practice your hand to hand combat skills." The rest of the class groaned and mumbled objections, except for two- Josie and Penelope. Josie, because she was listening intently to Mr. Wilson's words, and Penelope because she didn't seem to care either way. Mr. Wilson ignored his grumbling students, instead picking up his clipboard and reading off the students' names that were matched together as sparring partners.

Josie watched as each duo was announced, waiting anxiously for her name- or, more importantly, her partner's name- to be called. As the students' list got narrower, and the sound of grunts and groans filled the gym as the fighting began, there were only two students left standing- Josie and Penelope. The two girls glanced over at each other, both equally unsatisfied with the partner they had been given. "You expect me to spar with the weakest witch in the entire school?", Penelope disputed, crossing her arms across her chest and tapping her foot in irritation. "How am I even supposed to learn something if I'm wasting my time with someone...less superior to my abilities?" Josie opened her mouth to object, to throw back a quip of her own, but Mr. Wilson prevented the girls from arguing further. "If you are so confident in your skills, Miss Park, then maybe you can use this time to learn the value of helping your classmate improve her skills." Penelope frowned but knew better than to talk back to her teacher a second time. The instant that their teacher was out of earshot, Penelope looked over at Josie in disdain. She rolled her eyes, turning around and walking toward the back of the gym. Josie presumed that Penelope was simply refusing to spar with her until the girl glanced back at her with impatience. "Are you coming or not?" she scolded, prompting Josie to pick up her pace and follow Penelope's lead. 

Once they were a considerable distance away from the other students, Penelope put down her things, unzipping her jacket and shrugging out of it, leaving herself in a purple sports bra and matching leggings. Josie didn't realize she had been leering at Penelope until the girl snapped her fingers together to grab Josie's attention, smirking. "My eyes are up here, Saltzman.", she teased, causing Josie to flush pink with embarrassment. Penelope laughed, shaking her head at the girl's awkwardness. "I'll let it slide this time- mostly because I'm about to kick your ass anyway." Penelope finished strapping the gloves around her wrists, turning back to her opponent. "That is if you even put up much of a fi-" Penelope's comment was cut off abruptly as she was driven to the ground, her back hitting the mat as Josie pinned her to the floor. Josie smiled down at her with confidence, and Penelope's surprised expression turned to one of esteem. "Element of surprise- I'm impressed, Saltzman." Josie let her go, standing on her own feet before offering a hand to help Penelope up. Penelope took the offered hand, but instead of using it to stand up, she pulled Josie down to the ground beside her, rolling over to put herself in Josie's position just held over her a moment earlier. Penelope grinned, proud of herself for regaining control. "Try to keep up, Saltzman.", she remarked, standing quickly to her feet and holding a defensive position. "Maybe there are some things you could learn from me, after all."

Josie understood quickly that Penelope's confidence in her ability was not in vain- she was very skilled in her combat skills, and it took all of Josie's energy just to keep up with her. When Josie jabbed left, Penelope ducked right. When Josie threw a punch with her right fist, Penelope was ready to grab it with her left hand. Even when Josie used her powers to knock Penelope back and give herself a second to plan her next move, Penelope caught herself quickly, rebounding back to take another swing at Josie. They kept at it- fighting for dominance over the other person- until Mr. Wilson blew his whistle, signaling the class's end. Josie bent down, hands on her knees as she worked to even out her breathing; Beside her Penelope did the same, holding her perspiring water bottle against her forehead. "I might have misjudged you, Saltzman.", she declared between strained breaths. "I don't think anyone has ever lasted that long against me." "What, no comment about how you were going easy on me? No critiquing my ability?" Josie asked, causing Penelope to chuckle at her annoyance. "Just take the compliment, Josie.", Penelope warned her, picking up her stuff from the ground. Josie would have mentioned Penelope's error calling her by her first name, but she was still trying to catch her breath. Penelope shrugged on her jacket, smirking at Josie with what the panting girl could only describe as pride in her eyes. "See you Thursday, Saltzman.", she shouted, waltzing out of the gym doors before Josie could say goodbye. Josie rolled her eyes. 

Even in such a casual conversation, Penelope always had to make sure she had the last word.   
___________________________________________________________  
Josie massaged her shoulder gently, grimacing at how sore to the touch her muscles were. Thanks to Penelope, the morning workout the girl had given Josie made her whole body ache. Josie craved the sweet release of a warm shower, and the second her last class ended for the day, she rushed to do just that. She unlocked the door to her dorm, focusing on getting a change of clothes and her shower bag; Instead, to her surprise, she was greeted by an unexpected guest. Perched on her bed was her mother, Caroline, her attention turned to her phone. The second she sensed her daughter's presence, Caroline slipped her phone into her pocket, standing to embrace Josie. She pulled away when Josie winced under her touch, her face full of concern. Before her mother could fret over her wellbeing, Josie hastened to explain herself. "We were sparring this morning- I'm just a little sore.", she said, calming her mother's fears. "What are you doing here? You should be in Spain with Stefan." Caroline smoothed down Josie's hair lovingly, ignoring her daughter's questioning. "Well, I'm here to see my beautiful babies, of course.", she stated happily. "As for Stefan, he's at our hotel. He'll join us later for dinner- how does the mystic grill sound? I know how you like their vegetarian burgers." Josie frowned; As much as she enjoyed seeing her mother, she knew there had to be another reason that Caroline would show up without announcement to see her and Lizzie. 

"I'm just surprised to see you.", Josie admitted with a shrug. "You didn't call, or even text. I wasn't expecting to see you until spring break." Caroline paused for a moment, gauging her daughter's reaction. "Well...your father might have mentioned that you might be having some trouble with another student." Josie shuffled rigidly, avoiding her mother's gaze. "I wanted to make sure that no one is messing with my baby girl." "You really shouldn't have gone out of your way like that, mom.", Josie protested. "I'm fine- dad just worries way too much." Caroline frowned at her daughter, feeling inclined not to believe her daughter's lie. "Josie, honey, I am your mother; You might be able to fool your father most of the time, but you can not fool me." Caroline sat down on her daughter's bed, patting the spot next to her to invite Josie. Josie did so reluctantly, dreading the conversation she knew was imminent. "Talk to me, honey. Who is this person, and what do you want me to do to make sure they don't trouble you again?"

When it was apparent Josie was not willing to speak, Caroline simply placed her hand comfortingly over her daughter's. "My sweet girl.", she cooed, squeezing Josie's hand tenderly. "You have such a big heart- loving, caring, generous. You see the virtue in everyone. I just want to make sure no one is taking advantage of that piece of you." "I'm okay, mom.", Josie assured, forcing a smile for her mother. "I'm not a little kid anymore- if I have a problem, I can handle it." "I'm aware of that, honey.", Caroline affirmed, brushing her daughter's hair away from her face. "But I am still your mother, and your father is still your father. We will always worry about you girls, and though we might not constantly make a point of showing it, we will always be here to assist you, because we love you." Josie rolled her eyes at her mother's affection but leaned upward to kiss Caroline on her cheek. "Thanks, mom.", she replied, and Caroline chuckled heartily. "You don't have to thank me, baby.", she stated warmly. "I'm your mother- taking care of my girls is just what I do." The bedroom door swung open once again, and Lizzie marched into the room, visibly startled to see their mother as well. She scowled, placing her hands on her hips. 

"And when we're you guys planning on informing me that mom is in town?"  
___________________________________________________________  
Josie hated staring at the ghost in the mirror. 

Literally, she was staring at a ghost in the mirror; more so, her figure in a half-transparent form. Thanks to her earlier performance in her biological magic exercise, she was left with the consequences of letting herself get distracted by Penelope's gossiping groupies, making her say the wrong version of an invisibility spell. Even though Josie had realized the error seconds after she spoke, she was powerless to stop the spell; To her horror, the charm that should have made her completely translucent instead made Josie only semi-invisible, a ghost-like effect left on her body. As she walked back to her room, with her cheeks flushed with shame, she had been mocked mercilessly by the other students in the hallways. The snide comments, the ill-willed laughter, and the wide-eyed stares Josie could take; The worst part, however, was that Josie had to pass Penelope and her group of followers to get to her room. Hearing the chorus of teasing and Penelope's laughter was enough to make Josie wish she had become invisible; Josie was relieved when she reached her bedroom door, shutting their laughter outside of it once she'd flung it shut behind her. 

Luckily, the spell only lasted for an hour after Josie had cast it. Josie was relieved that she wouldn't have to spend the rest of eternity looking like she had come back from the afterlife, but she was mortified to face the other students, knowing they were unlikely to let her live the mistake down. She stayed secured within her room for the rest of the day, unwilling to let herself be humiliated any further. Her grades were sure to take a blow, yes, but Josie couldn't find it within herself to care. She was tired of being ridiculed, tired of being laughed at, and- most importantly- tired of Penelope Park and her league of gossiping, ruthless, evil henchwomen. Josie tugged the covers over her head, closing her eyes to take a well-deserved rest. Anything that they had to say to her, Josie decided, could wait until the morning. 

Josie woke up later that evening to a knocking at the door. She groaned, turning over to face the opposite wall. There were only a handful of people that would come to check on Josie, and they knew when- and when not- their company was desired. If she ignored it, the person would likely give up and walk away. At least, that is what Josie had assumed; But when the knocking became more powerful and more rapid, it became impossible for Josie to disregard. She reluctantly stood from the bed, shuffling over to the door and dragging it open cautiously. To Josie's surprise, standing before her wasn't Hope, Mg, her father, or any other person Josie would expect to knock at her door. Instead, there stood Penelope Park- still dressed in her school uniform, looking at Josie with what she could only describe as genuine concern. Josie could feel her cheeks flush pink, especially as Penelope took in the sight of Josie's star-printed pajama pants, and the frown on her face turned to a smirk. "Cute pants.", she commented, laughing as Josie blushed harder at the remark. Josie hesitated, unsure of what to say in the girl's presence. Fortunately for her, Penelope spoke before Josie had to force herself to. "Well, aren't you going to invite me in?" she asked, eyebrow raised in question, and her arms folded loosely across her chest. Josie stepped aside reluctantly, allowing Penelope to enter the room. 

Having Penelope in a space that was so sacredly her own was an eerie experience for Josie. Having the person who had tormented her day in and day out standing in the middle of all the things that made Josie feel warm, safe, and at home made her feel uneasy where she stood, watching Penelope take in the environment around her. After a few painstaking moments, Josie grew impatient, longing to be left alone once again. "Is there something you came here for in particular, Penelope?", Josie snapped, tapping her foot on the hardwood floor. "I've had a rough day, and I'm not really in the mood to play your games." Penelope chuckled softly, turning around to face Josie. "Yeah, I witnessed your Casper impersonation.", she joked, backing down when she saw the cross look on Josie's face. "Don't worry about it; Tomorrow someone will blow up something during a potions class, or something equally as ridiculous, and they'll forget all about why they were laughing at you in the first place. You're not the first person to fuck up a spell." Josie shook her head, glaring at Penelope bitterly. "That's what you don't get, Penelope; I'm not like you or any of the other students in this school; I don't have the room to make mistakes.", she explained with exasperation. "I'm the headmaster's daughter, the teacher's pet, the girl who doesn't belong here cause she doesn't even have her own magic. Me screwing up one simple spell is just yet another thing that they'll use against me- another thing that you and your posse will tease me about when you get bored." When Josie gained enough bravery to look up at Penelope, the infamous smirk that the girl was so well known for had vanished, her features downcast in sympathy of Josie's frustration. "So, honestly Penelope, I don't know why you're here, pretending that you care. You're no different from all the people that laughed at me today. So, if you would kindly leave and go back to whatever it was you were doing before your morality decided to make an appearance, I'd greatly appreciate it." 

Penelope opened her mouth to say something- to defend or taunt, Josie was not sure- but she took one look at Josie's demeanor and decided against it. She stepped wordlessly to the door, respecting Josie's wishes and making her exit. Before leaving, she turned around to face Josie one last time. "You don't have to be perfect, Josie. No one is.", she admitted, her voice as insecure and uncertain as Josie had ever heard it. "No matter how much we want to be." Josie wanted to pry further into Penelope's remark- to peel away at the layers and find the truth hidden underneath her words- but Penelope disappeared before Josie could even think to stop her. Once again, Josie was left alone, trying to solve the enigma that was Penelope Park. The more she thought about all the information that she did know about Penelope, the more Josie realized that she didn't understand much about Penelope at all.  
____________________________________________________________________  
The next day, to Josie's relief, no one spoke a word about her mishap. She went through the day's motions, and the serenity after the turmoil of the previous day left Josie waiting to see when the other shoe would drop. The only reason Josie could find in her mind for why everyone in the school was suddenly neutral towards her was that they were planning something to make her look more stupid than she had the previous day. When the end of the day had come, and Josie had outlived it without any mishaps, she was left feeling pleasantly surprised. That was until she ran smack dab into Penelope Park's coven, coming in the classroom just as she was going back to her dorm. They were surprisingly unaccompanied by their leader, but even without her presence, Josie felt small under the gaze of six of the most powerful witches the Salvatore school hosted. 

"Move out of our way, Saltzman.", Rose, the witch known to be Penelope's second in command, sneered. "Just because Penelope suddenly has a weak spot for you doesn't mean we do." Josie looked at the malicious girl in confusion, unable to comprehend the words she was hearing. "What do you mean?" she asked, causing the girl to laugh at her. "Wow, you are an oblivious dumbass." Rose shook her head at Josie, shoving her aside so she could enter the classroom. The other witches followed behind her, giggling under their breaths at Josie's expense. Typically, it would upset Josie that they were blatantly taking pleasure at her discomfort, but her focus was on Rose's words instead of her actions. 'Just because Penelope suddenly has a weak spot for you doesn't mean we do.' Why would they possibly believe that Penelope had anything other than hostility towards her? Penelope had always made it very explicit where she stood, and where Josie stood beneath her. Josie mulled over Rose's words, replaying them in her head as realization made her freeze. Suddenly, everything made sense- Penelope's surprise visit to her dorm, the peaceful day Josie had, and the absence of the raven-haired girl in her vicinity. Penelope had made sure that no one messed with Josie throughout the day; She had protected her from the student body's scrutiny. 

The question was...why?  
___________________________________________________________________  
"I need to speak to Penelope.", Josie stated firmly, keeping her eyes locked on the girl sitting across from her. When the other witches didn't make a move to leave, she said it once more, adding an 'alone' to the end of it. Penelope sighed in frustration, waving her hand in a manner that let her followers know that their presence was no longer wanted. The witches, including a visibly pissed Rose, dispersed from Josie and Penelope's vicinity, leaving the table empty. Penelope gestured to the seat in front of her, grinning a grin that reminded Josie of the Cheshire cat. "Please, have a seat, Josette; Now that you've commanded my full, undivided attention, why don't you tell me what's on your mind?" Josie huffed in annoyance, irritated by Penelope's manner. "Do you find some kind of twisted pleasure in this?" Josie complained, earning an amused chuckle from Penelope. "Cause I can't think of any other reason why you're constantly playing mind games with everyone at this school." Penelope rolled her eyes, leaning back and placing her arms across her chest. "What are you even talking about, Saltzman?" she asked in a tone edging on boredom. "I did what you indirectly begged me to- I made sure no one mentioned your little spell mishap again." Penelope scoffed, shaking her head at the girl. "If anything, you should be thanking me." Josie glared at the girl doubtfully. "And what's in it for you?" she demanded, causing Penelope to prompt her to clarify further with the flick of her hand. "There's only a handful of people in this school that have received a favor from you, Penelope; And each one of them lived to regret it. You never do anything unless there's something in it for you. So, what are you getting out of helping me?" 

Penelope rose abruptly from her chair, peering down at Josie with an unreadable expression. "Is it that inconceivable that I would do something just to be nice?" Penelope asked, not pausing for Josie's answer. "Maybe I just wanted to give you exactly what you wanted- a chance for people to see the true you; Because underneath all that "goody-two-shoes, would never harm a fly" act is an actual personality." Josie stood back, her mouth drawn into a tight line as she listened to Penelope speak. "I saw a glimpse of that person last night; I wanted to give her some space to shine. But you're so used to existing in someone else's shadow- judging everyone else for their flaws, and their lives- that you don't even know who you are, do you, Josie?" When Josie didn't answer, Penelope sighed, collecting her things together. "That's what I thought.", she murmured coldly, her green eyes holding Josie's. "Make some damn room for yourself, Josie. Before you drown in what everyone else wants you to be." With that, Penelope walked away, leaving Josie to deal with the massive aftermath of her words.  
_______________________________________________________  
Josie hated February; more accurately, she hated the shallowness that February brought out of people. All around her were couples- some long term, and others that would only last until the holiday was over. They surrounded her everywhere she went- holding hands as they walked between class, receiving notes during a lecture, sharing stolen kisses while they thought no one was looking. It appeared that everyone was happy- Hope had Landon, MG was making his yearly attempt at attempting to be Lizzie's valentine, and Kaleb and Alyssa were the newest- if shortlived- couple at Salvatore. Everyone was content, it seemed, besides Josie. It wasn't as if Josie expected to have a valentine- she'd had never had one before, so she didn't have something to miss- but something changed about that year. As she watched MG try to woo her sister, saw Hope and Landon giggling together during class, and noticed all of the bright reds and pinks of the valentine's day decorations throughout the school, Josie felt incredibly lonely. Hollow, as if something was missing, but she couldn't place her finger on it. It only worsened as the Salvatore school started up its yearly tradition- magical love hearts. 

The idea started a rather long time ago by a senior student and had become a tradition even long after she left. Each year the students were encouraged to write short notes on pieces of paper in the shape of a heart and to sign their sweetheart's name on the back. Then, a handful of witches were chosen to disperse the messages out to their recipients. Every year, Josie watched as everyone else received a love heart, and every year she was bypassed as they were given out. Every year, Josie concentrated on giving out love hearts instead of receiving them. She sent one to Lizzie, one to Hope, and one to each of her closest friends. To watch them open her notes on valentine's day and see their broad smiles and sparkling eyes was enough for Josie; At least, she had convinced herself that it was. 

So, when Valentine's day appeared again, Josie sat in her fifth-period class, studying the history of French Quarter Witches, barely batting an eyelid as the little folded papers began to float down on the student's desks. All around her, Josie heard the unfolding of paper, small gasps and squeals of glee, and a chorus of appreciation as the students read their notes. She sighed, flipping the page to continue her notes when Hope approached her desk. "Hope, I'm sorry, but I'm not in the mood to hear another one of Landon's sappy love poems to you.", Josie mumbled, not bothering to look up from her textbook. Hope laughed, quivering with excitement as she set the folded note over the paragraph Josie was reading. "This isn't mine, Josie.", she explained, hardly containing her enthusiasm. "This one is addressed to you." Josie's head shot up out of the textbook, failing to find words as Hope slipped the note into her hand. "Before you ask, no, it wasn't me; It wasn't Lizzie either, because she never sends any love telegrams. Which means you've caught someone's attention." 

Josie remained in shock, holding the note in her hands with a dumbfounded expression on her face. She would have noticed if someone was interested in her, wouldn't she? "This has to be a misunderstanding or some kind of cruel joke, Hope.", she reasoned, arguing with herself more than she was acknowledging Hope. The latter girl shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm joining Landon right now for lunch.", she stated, patting Josie's shoulder gently in support. "You should open it before I get back so we can be excited about it together." Hope waltzed out the door, waving goodbye before she left to find out what her boyfriend had planned for her. The other students also filed out, leaving only Josie alone in the room. Josie was grateful for this because if the note did happen to be a prank, she would be spared the embarrassment of everyone seeing her cry. She unfolded the paper with the delicacy that a landmine would require, expecting hateful words or crude drawings to be revealed. Instead, she found only delicate cursive writing inside.

Josie,   
You think you're so invisible, Josette, but I see the person you are inside. If you want to learn my identity, meet me at the old mill tonight during the Valentine's Day between 8 pm and midnight. I hope to see you there beautiful.  
Xoxo Your Secret Admirer.

Josie refolded the note, cupping it in her palms gently. She felt lightheaded, her heart beating faster in her chest. Someone had written her a love note- someone who wanted to meet her later that night. Josie felt torn; She was curious of who the person behind the letter was, but she couldn't shake the impression that she was falling into a giant trap. Of all the times that someone could reveal their crush for Josie, it was skeptical that they happened to choose Valentine's Day to do so. Josie sighed, slipping the note into her pocket. She ached to believe that someone in the school had genuine feelings for her, but Josie knew the probability of the letter being a prank was too high for her to feed into her curiosity. No matter how intriguing it was, she had to rise above her temptations.

Under no circumstances would Josie attend that dance.  
___________________________________________________________________  
"Are you certain you want to stay in, Jo?" Lizzie urged, speaking to her sister's reflection in the mirror she was gazing into. "Everyone is going to be at the dance, and even though you don't have a date, you could still have some fun." "Yeah, didn't you have something to take care of tonight, Josie?", Hope prompted, earning a pointed look from Josie. "No, not that I recall.", she responded, urging Hope with her eyes to keep quiet in Lizzie's presence. "I'll be fine, guys. I'm probably just going to read for a while and go to bed.", she assured them, helping Lizzie zip up the back of her dress. "Have fun for me, okay?" Hope and Lizzie glanced at each other, sharing their mutual disappointment, before turning back to Josie. "I mean if you're positive, Josie.", Hope relented with a sigh. "If you need us, don't hesitate to come to get us." Josie rolled her eyes, laughing under her breath at Hope's concern. "Yes, mom.", she joked, earning a playful smack to her right arm. She ushered Hope and Lizzie out the door hurriedly. "Go- you're going to keep your dates waiting." Hope and Lizzie said their goodbyes to Josie, and then departed. Josie didn't shut the door until she could no longer hear the faint sounds of their heels clicking down the corridor. 

After being just an hour into her night alone, Josie was already bored. She had attempted to read the book she'd borrowed from the library, but couldn't seem to focus her attention long enough to get past the first paragraph. Josie tried to catch up on her favorite TV show's latest season, but without Lizzie to watch it with her, screaming at the exciting moments and making her laugh, it felt dull. She worked on writing in her journal, but the only topic she could think about was the identity of the person that had sent the note that was still folded up in her pocket. She shut the journal in defeat, collapsing onto her bed with an exhausted sigh. Distracting herself seemed futile, and Josie was about to give up and force herself to go to sleep when a determined knock sounded at her door. Josie got up from the bed, opening the door to be met with the face of Penelope Park. Of course, Josie was surprised to receive yet another visit from her nemesis, but something else seemed off about the girl.

Penelope stood on the space outside Josie's door, grinning a broad grin that didn't quite meet her eyes the correct way. Piled up in her arms was an assortment of snacks, and tucked between her arm and her body was a half-empty bottle of liquor. As soon as Josie saw how much had already been taken from the bottle, Penelope's outlandish behavior suddenly made more sense. "Hey, Jojo," she slurred giggling. "Heard you were staying in, too. Up for a movie night?" Josie examined the girl up and down, her head tilted in confusion. "Are you...drunk?" she questioned, receiving an airy laugh in reply. "Oh, relax, Jo. I won't tell if you won't.", she replied with a wink. When Josie didn't react to her attempt at humor, she sighed dramatically, her gaze meeting Josie's eyes.

"Look, I'm offering you the best snacks that the mystic falls corner store offers and some companionship. So, am I wasting my time here, or are you going to invite me in?" Josie rolled her eyes, unable to suppress her amusement. "Well, there's the Penelope we all know and tolerate.", she teased, causing a pout to form on Penelope's face. After a moment's consideration, Josie stepped aside, allowing Penelope to enter. She needed a distraction, and if there was one thing that Penelope was good at, it was holding people's attention. She closed the bedroom door, turning back to Penelope, who had already settled herself on Josie's bed, laying her spread of snacks.   
"So," Josie started, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. "How do you feel about Harry Potter?"  
______________________________________________________________  
"Okay, I kinda see why people develop an obsession with this franchise," Penelope admitted, drawing a laugh out of the girl beside her. "But they got it wrong with the whole magic idea. I mean, leviosa? I learned that spell before I could even talk in full sentences." "They're humans, Penelope.", Josie giggled, taking a sip from the can of soda on her nightstand. "They don't even really believe in this stuff- it's just entertainment for them." "If only they knew, right?" Penelope said, shaking her head as she brought the liquor bottle back up to her lips, draining the rest of its contents. Josie chuckled, pausing the laptop screen and stretching out her legs in front of her. She glanced over at the alarm clock, scowling when she realized that more time than she thought had passed. "It's getting pretty late." She reluctantly stated, and Penelope's amused grin morphed to a frown. "Yeah, I guess maybe I should go back to my room now.", Penelope mumbled, beginning to collect the wrappers from off of Josie's bed. Josie also rose from the bed, helping her clean up. When they had cleared up, Penelope grabbed her things and started walking toward the door. Josie was going to let her go- she had every intention to- but she found herself stopping Penelope before she even realized that she was doing it. 

Penelope swerved around to look at her expectantly, but the minute the raven-haired girl's eyes were on her, any confidence she had immediately ditched Josie. "Unless..." she stated, rubbing her arms self consciously. "You would maybe want to stay with me tonight?" Penelope halted, her mouth half-open as if she struggled to either speak or contain the words threatening to spill from her lips. She looked doubtful like maybe she believed- or was trying to convince herself- that she had heard Josie wrong. "You're drunk, and if my dad or another staff member is walking the halls, they'll smell it on you for sure. I don't want you to get in trouble, or worse, get us both in trouble.", Josie explained, avoiding Penelope's hopeful gaze as she spoke. "You can sleep in my bed, and I'll sleep in Lizzie's. She'll probably stay with Hope tonight if she doesn't go to MG's after the dance." Penelope shook her head, ready to protest, but Josie grasped her arm lightly, preventing her from leaving. "Please, Penelope?" she pleaded, ignoring the humiliation of hearing the slight desperation in her voice. "I'd like it if you stayed." Penelope's gaze wavered from Josie's face to the weak grip on her wrist, her perplexed expression slowly turning into a content grin. "Well," she affirmed, closing the bedroom door once again. "How can I possibly say no to that?"  
____________________________________________________________  
When Josie woke up in the morning, she was not surprised to find that Penelope had left. She'd expected it, or at least part of her had; If someone caught Penelope leaving Josie's room- the bedroom of a girl she was supposed to despise- they would make assumptions. Those assumptions would turn to rumors, and those rumors could ruin the reputation that Penelope Park had worked so hard to build for herself. Behind her cold, selfish facade, Josie knew that deep down, Penelope worried about what other people thought about her; Had known it even before she saw the proof of it for herself. Penelope hid behind her position in the Salvatore school social order hierarchy- it was sacred to her. That wasn't going to change just because she spent one night with the person she rejected because she was drunk and lonely. However, what was unexpected was a note laying on her nightstand, propped up with bottled water and a shiny red apple. Josie took the letter, unfolding it carefully to read the message inside:

Hey, Josie. Sorry I had to leave so early- morning class. Thanks for letting me sleep here last night. I left you an apple as a thank you. See you at sparring practice. - Penelope. 

Josie beamed at the note, closing it carefully and tucking it between her journal pages sitting on the nightstand- a place she knew Lizzie wouldn't find it. Josie liked this neutral, passive Penelope, but she knew that her sister would not comprehend the changes that Josie was gradually observing in the girl; And that was very much okay with Josie. Whether Josie wanted to admit it or not, she was developing a soft spot for the older girl; Whether this was a positive or negative thing, Josie had yet to decide, but she knew that she wasn't ready to broadcast that information to the rest of the world. Though Josie had seen glimpses underneath it, Penelope held up a tough defense, a guard to protect her from enduring whatever trauma had built it. Penelope didn't trust her, and Josie wasn't ready to trust her either after the years of distress she had suffered at Penelope's hands. So, for now, they kept each other at arm's length, not quite enemies anymore but assuredly not friends. It was a push-and-pull with Penelope, but at least Josie understood where the girl's aggression came from a little bit more; In turn, Josie liked to think she perceived her fascination with the charming yet abrasive witch a little more, too. 

Josie spent the beginning of the morning studying, appreciating the serene quiet that was often a rarity while sharing a room. She ignored the commotion outside, turning up the current song's volume playing through her earphones to block it out. Her pen never left the paper, Josie's concentration focused and her mind sharp, and to her delight, Josie caught up on her work in only a couple of hours. Pleased, she packed up her books, eager to turn in her work, and finally have the burden of it off her conscience. She had just exited the room and barely closed the door behind her when she first realized something was amiss among the students. They were all clustered together, mumbling under their breaths about something Josie couldn't catch. As Josie passed, their attention flickered to her, exchanging looks that Josie could not decipher. She chalked it up to the regular high school drama that not even the Salvatore school was immune to and chose to ignore. That is until she ran straight into Hope, whose frantic expression turned to relief when she recognized who had just body checked her in the middle of the crowded hallway. 

"Oh, thank god.", Hope muttered, seizing Josie's arm and beginning to drag her down the corridor. "I've been looking for you for almost an hour." "Why didn't you just check my room?" Josie questioned, slightly amused. "I was just studying." "Okay, I am a lot of things in a stressful situation, Josette.", Hope answered, rolling her eyes. "Clear-minded doesn't happen to be one of those things." Josie pulled away, the smile on her face fading. Hope turned to face her, annoyance written on her face. "Wait, what is going on, Hope?" she demanded, biting her lip nervously. "Is it Lizzie? Did she have another episode?" Hope sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "No, it's not Lizzie; I haven't even seen her since last night.", she admitted. "Look, I'll explain everything, but we need to get to the infirmary right now." "No," Josie protested, refusing to walk any further. "Tell me what is going on, Hope. Who is injured?" Hope opened her mouth to explain, but didn't have the chance before Josie overheard two students next to them, piecing the situation together for herself. 

"Rose Sycamore just got her ass handed to her by Penelope Park."   
__________________________________________________________  
"You dumbass.", Josie shouted, storming up to the cot Penelope sat as a nurse bandaged her busted knuckles. The older woman scolded Josie for her use of profanity, and Josie uttered a rushed apology before turning back to the wounded girl. "What gave you a brilliant idea to pick a fight with one of the most powerful witches in school? Please, tell me Penelope; I genuinely want to know." "First of all, mom, she started the fight with me.", Penelope mumbled, cringing as the gauze made another loop around her hand. "Secondly, I didn't know I had to explain my every action to you; I mean, it's not like you care." Josie opened her mouth to say something else, but the door to the infirmary swinging open caught them all off guard. Two of the wolves stormed in, carrying the limp body of another in their arms. The nurse handed the jar of salve in her hands to Josie. "Josette, can you kindly help Miss Park tend to her injuries? I have my work cut out for me with those three." Josie nodded, and the nurse scurried away to help the battered boy.

Josie sighed, sitting down on the bed's edge and dipping her fingers into the tiny jar. She began to anoint Penelope's skin with the concoction, watching as her skin's abrasions slowly started to fade away. Save for Penelope's noises of discomfort, both girls were quiet, giving Josie enough time to calm down before daring to speak again. "Lay back and lift your shirt.", Josie ordered, earning an entertained smirk from Penelope. Josie rolled her eyes, realizing the implication she had unknowingly made. "You got thrown across the hallway, Penelope. I know you didn't escape a fall like that without a bruise or two." Penelope didn't answer Josie, instead deciding to obey her order and laying back on the cot, bunching her shirt up so that Josie could reach her torso. Josie worked the salve into Penelope's skin as gently as she could, deciding her next words just as cautiously. 

"What makes you think I wouldn't care that you got injured, Penelope?", Josie asked, apologizing directly after when Penelope hissed in pain under her fingertips. Penelope took a deep breath, then another, letting them go as she continued to endure. "Well, it's not like we're friends or anything.", Penelope explained, resting her arm behind her head. "I don't even know why Hope went and got you, honestly. I don't need anyone to babysit me." "I'm not babysitting you.", Josie assured her, rolling her eyes. "I'm here because I care about your wellbeing, Penelope. Plus, you're going to need my cooperation if you plan on getting off easy with my dad." "Fuck, your dad.", Penelope said with a groan, covering her eyes. "This is my second violation with him- he's going to suspend me." Josie felt the muscles in Penelope's abdomen tense, rigid with panic and stress. "He's not going to suspend you.", Josie affirmed, unsure if she could keep her word or not, but wanting to ease Penelope's fear. "At least, he won't if you have a good reason for fighting on school grounds." Penelope averted her eyes from Josies, and the latter girl sighed when she realized that Penelope would not confide in her so easily. She held out her hand, helping Penelope sit up carefully before tending to the final cut above her cheekbone. 

In their new position, just inches away from each other, Josie could practically envision Penelope's genuine distress. She disliked seeing the usually nonchalant girl so worked up, but she knew that there was nothing she could do to support Penelope's case to her father if the girl would not even tell her why she had fought in the first place. "I might not know you very well, Penelope," Josie started, "Actually, I don't know much about you at all; But one thing I know you're not is stupid. So, please, just tell me why you fought Rose, and I can help you make a plea to my dad for leniency." Penelope swallowed hard, letting out a trembling sigh. "You honestly want to know the truth?" Penelope spoke brusquely, earning a curt nod from Josie. Penelope sighed, meeting Josie's eyes for the first time since Josie had arrived. Hazel irises, ordinarily cold and distant, stared back at Josie with tenderness and warmth. "She was saying shit about you, and I just snapped. I told her if I ever heard her say another negative thing with your name attached to it, I would kick her ass; She tested me, Josie, and I just kind of lost it." Penelope turned away, hopping down from the cot. "Tell your dad I accept whatever punishment he wants to give me. I deserve it." Penelope began to walk away, but Josie halted her by catching her wrist in her hand. "Why did you defend me?" Josie asked in confusion. "You hate me." Penelope smiled sadly at Josie, speaking with no hesitation in her voice. o

"Because all those things they said about you, you've already shown me are wrong."   
______________________________________________________________________  
"Josie, I can't make an exemption for Penelope without also making one for Rose.", Alaric explained, running his hand through his hair. "Then I'd have to make exemptions for every brawling student in the whole school, and the entire disciplinary policy would be a colossal joke." "Dad, please, there has to be something we can do for her.", Josie pleaded, biting her lip between her teeth. "The one reason she even attacked Rose is that she was protecting me! You always tell us to stand up for each other, and for doing just that, she gets punished?" Alaric sighed, staring at his daughter in annoyance. "See, I hate it when you kids use my own statements against me.", he mumbled, shaking his head. He reflected for a moment before he had a profound idea. "The teachers for the younger kids have been asking for a few older students to be tutors.", Alaric explained with a smile. "Rose and Penelope would have to work together, but I'll count it as a community service. Two times a week until spring break." 

Josie jumped up, hugging her father tightly. "Thank you, Dad.", she exclaimed, kissing him on the cheek. Alaric chuckled, holding his daughter for a moment longer before letting her go. "I'm going to go find Penelope and let her know.", Josie said, racing out of the room. Before she could go, Alaric stopped her, beckoning Josie back to his desk. "It seems that since you and Penelope are friendly now, you've been a lot happier.", Alaric observed, noticing the light pink flush on his daughter's cheeks. "The incidents with your school supplies seem to have stopped too." "Dad, I-," Josie started to explain, but her father cut her off. "Penelope might be rough around the edges, but she's a good kid.", he affirmed, grinning at his daughter. "I'm glad she's found a good friend in you." Josie agreed awkwardly, waving goodbye to her father before heading out the door. She thought about her father's words as she walked to Penelope's dorm. She guessed, to an outsider, it kind of looked like she and Penelope had become friends- or, at the very least, friendly. Terming her a "friend" should have felt foreign on Josie's tongue, but instead, it just made her feel warm inside. Maybe- with a lot of perseverance and a little luck- she could gain a friend in Penelope Park. The idea made her shiver pleasantly.

Two knocks to Penelope's door later, and Josie was face to face with her. And yet when she first looked at Penelope, she found that the girl was in a disorderly state. Penelope's hair was tousled and messy, clinging to her face with sweat and the rest hanging down over her face. She was clutching a robe to her chest, only a small portion of her body hanging out the door to greet Josie; her shoulders were bare, telling Josie that Penelope was wearing the robe because she had nothing else on underneath. "Is this a bad time?" Josie asked, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Penelope shook her head, smoothing the hair away from her face. "Not if there's something important you needed.", Penelope commented, smiling gently. "Is there?"

"Oh, I just wanted to tell you that my dad-" "Coming back to bed, Pen?" a voice interrupted, it's tone sending chills down Josie's spine. She knew that voice because she had heard it directed harshly at her many times before. Josie's expression hardened, her hands clenching into fists. "Really, Penelope? Rose?" she muttered, her eyes aflame with rage. "Of all people, you choose the person who got you in the trouble I just tried to get you out of?" Josie shook her head, turning and marching away from the door. She heard Penelope frantically calling after her, but she was too angry to care. Her father was wrong.   
She and Penelope Park weren't friends, and Josie was determined that they never would be.


	2. II

Josie dreaded Tuesday to come, and when it did, Penelope was waiting for her as they entered the gym to spar. Josie stepped past Penelope without saying a single word, grabbing a pair of gloves, and strapping them on her wrists. Penelope followed her, doing the same with a guilty look etched into her features. "Josie, I'm sorry.", she pleaded but was met with reserve. "Please, just speak to me." "When I count to three, we begin.", Josie grumbled, and Penelope sighed, bringing her fists up to cover her face. Josie commenced the countdown, not even bothering to say the third number before charging at the raven-haired girl. All of Josie's frustration was holding onto throughout the weekend seemed to circulate directly to her hands, making each jab and punch more accurate and a whole lot more powerful. For once, Penelope had a difficult time keeping up with the furious brunette. Josie was focused, determined to bring Penelope down. "Josie, I know you're pissed, okay? You have a right to be pissed.", Penelope declared, struggling to catch her breath before Josie went at her again. "Actually, you kinda don't, but I understand why you are. But it didn't mean anything, Josie; It was just for the sex." Her words only appeared to fuel Josie's anger, and Penelope barely avoided a hit headed right toward her nose. Penelope moved back out of the way, leaning against the wall. 

"Okay, Josie, I'm calling a time out here.", Penelope admitted, casting a barrier shield between her and the girl. Through the purplish hues of the magic-induced boundary, Josie could see the genuine fear in Penelope's eyes. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Josie demanded angrily, scowling at her over the boundary. "I wouldn't even be angry at you for sleeping with her if it wasn't for the fact that she put you in the infirmary, Penelope." Josie scoffed loudly, flinging her hands in the air. "You think no one cares about you in this school, but you're wrong! Because, goddammit Penelope, I fucking care, okay? I don't want to see you in bandages again because of her!" Josie glanced around after the outburst, noticing that the remainder of her classmates were gawking at the two girls. Josie dropped her gaze downward, siphoning the magic out of the boundary spell to leave the gym. Josie continued to run until she was out in the courtyard, catching her breath in the golden sunshine. Josie basked in the rays, calming her heartrate, neglecting to notice that another presence had joined her. She flinched, facing the blonde, who gripped her arm to keep Josie from toppling over. Josie's gaze shifted from the hand of her arm to two piercing eyes, looking upon her with concern. 

"Woah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.", the blonde spoke, releasing Josie and wrapping her arms stiffly across her torso. "I just noticed how unsettled you seemed, and I wanted to make sure you were alright. I'm Jade, by the way. I probably should have mentioned that." "I'm Josie.", the brunette said after she had regained her breath, gifting Jade with as bright a smile as she could muster, which Jade returned. "Thank you for your concern, but I'm alright." Jade swiveled to look back at the table she had come from, grinning when her seatmates answered her questioning eyes with curt nods. "My friends and I have space for one more.", Jade proposed, turning back to Josie. "Care to join us?"

Josie began to object, but she couldn't say no to Jade's face's hopeful look. Josie agreed, and the girl brightened, taking Josie's hand in her own before leading her to the table. Josie faced the couple sitting on the bench, who glanced up from their conversation to welcome Josie. "Guys, this is Josie.", Jade introduced warmly. "Josie, this is my best friend, Wendy, and her boyfriend, Diego." Josie and Jade sat down on the bench, entering a video game discussion that Josie had never heard of. She tuned out, expecting to be a quiet bystander to the conversation, but was pulled in moments later when Jade poked her shoulder. "What about you, Josie? What kind of hobbies do you have?" "Oh, me?" Josie asked, suddenly feeling inadequate under their considerate gaze. "I don't have any hobbies." Jade and Wendy laughed, but Josie was too light-hearted to consider it as an insult against her. "Everyone has hobbies, Josie. Diego here likes swimming, and Jade and I enjoy photography and video games.", Wendy explained, filing her nail down with a small nail file. "So, what do you enjoy doing?" Josie swallowed hard, shrugging. "I guess I like to sing, but I'm not very good at it." "Are you kidding? I remember listening to you sing in the talent show last year.", Diego admitted in a blunt but friendly voice. "You sounded amazing." "Well, some things we like to keep just for ourselves.", Jade spoke, squeezing Josie's hand. "I'd love to hear you sing sometime, Josie." Josie peered over at Jade, then down at their joined hands. Both Josie and Jade looked away shyly. Wendy and Diego shared a glance, but Josie couldn't decipher what either of them was thinking.

"We should take Josie with us skating this weekend.", Wendy suggested as Diego nodded his agreement beside her. "Have you ever been?" "Once, with my sister.", Josie admitted. "It was a lot of fun, but my sister fell, and she swore never to go again." "Wendy, Josie probably has more important things to do than hang out with us.", Jade spoke, her cheeks flushing pink. Josie opposed to her statement, redirecting all three teenager's attention to her. "No, I'd love to go with you guys. I just have to check with my dad." Jade sighed with relief, the smile that Josie was slowly beginning to grow accustomed to returning to her face. "Here, hand me your phone. I'll put our numbers in.", she said, and Josie handed it over willingly. Jade typed a few numbers into the phone before handing it back to Josie. As much as Josie enjoyed being around the group, she knew she had to return to class before the period ended. "I'm sorry, I have to go.", Josie admitted reluctantly, standing from the seat. "It was nice meeting you." Diego, Wendy, and Josie waved her goodbye, and Josie walked the long walk back to the gym, feeling much lighter. As she neared the gym, her phone hummed in her pocket. She pulled it out, reading the text on the screen:

I hope you have a better day, Josie. I know you just made mine - Jade xx.  
_______________________________________________________  
The last person Josie expected to see when she walked into the kitchen at almost two in the morning was Penelope Park stealing a package of chocolate chip cookies. Yet, there Penelope was, holding the foil-wrapped box in her hands, a guilty look plastered across her face as she stared up at the intruder. Her panic disappeared when she realized that it was only Josie, and she offered a small wave with her empty hand. Josie sighed, walking past Penelope to get a bottle of water from the fridge. Josie anticipated Penelope to walk away and return to her room, but instead, the shorter girl hopped up on the counter, opening the cookies package. Josie turned around, raising an eyebrow at her behavior. "What are you doing?" she asked curiously, momentarily forgetting her feud with the girl. Penelope took a bite of the cookie in her hand, shrugging. "I can't exactly go back to my room right now- my ignorant freaking roommate has company over- again.", Penelope explained, her nose scrunched up in disgust. "So, I thought I'd grab a snack while I wait." Penelope grabbed another cookie, holding it out to Josie. "Consider it a peace offering.", Penelope said once Josie gave her a perplexed look. She snickered when Josie took the offered cookie, taking a piece of her own. "What about you? What's got you up so late? Does Lizzie snore or something? She seems like someone who would snore." 

Josie giggled at Penelope's statement, rolling her eyes. "No, I just have some trouble sleeping sometimes.", Josie admitted, standing next to the counter Penelope was sitting on. Penelope sighed, staring down into her lap. "Yeah, I know the feeling." Josie glanced up at Penelope, silently hoping that she would continue her line of thought. Instead, Penelope deflected away from the unspoken tension in her words, turning her focus back to Josie. "I'm sorry about the other day, Josie.", Penelope admitted, her voice low and laced with fatigue. "Rose was just there, and I was...well, I was lonely. It didn't mean anything, but you're right. After what she did to me, It was probably a dumb fucking idea to let her into my bed." "Yeah, it was, Penelope.", Josie agreed, shaking her head. "I get that you felt alone, but you could do so much better than Rose." "I know.", Penelope conceded though she didn't sound altogether convinced. "I just needed you to know that I'm sorry, and for what it's worth, I care about you too." Josie peered up at Penelope, her mouth half-open in awe. She wiped the surprise away quickly, grinning at the girl. "Be careful, Penelope.", Josie warned, suppressing a giggle. "Someone might overhear you and find out that the big, badass Penelope Park is a total softie." Penelope pushed Josie's shoulder jokingly, holding out the box to Josie. 

"Shut up, Josie, and help me eat these cookies."  
_______________________________________________________________  
"Hey, I'm so glad you could make it!" Jade exclaimed, a broad smile on her face as she drew Josie into a hug. "We were just about to text you, but now that you're here, let the embarrassment festival begin." "Oh, C'mon J.," Wendy remarked, rolling her eyes at her friend's dramatics. "At least you're not as bad as Diego." Jade giggled, shaking her head at her friends as she strapped on the skates she had rented. Beside her, Josie did the same. With their gear strapped securely on themselves, Jade stood carefully, holding her hand out to help Josie up. Josie did arise from the bench, though a lot less gracefully then Jade did. Just as Josie was dangerously close to tipping over, Jade caught her, keeping her grip firm on Josie's shoulders to keep her from falling. "Don't worry, Josie.", she reassured her with a soft smile. "I've got you." Josie could feel a pleasant jolt of heat spread throughout her body, and she felt safer with Jade right behind her, giggling as Josie wobbled her way to the rink. Around anyone else, Josie would have felt embarrassed at her incoordination; With Jade, however, Josie couldn't help getting lost in the blonde's infectious laughter. Hand in hand, they skated out into the rink.

Josie realized that she enjoyed skating a lot more than she'd realized. Sure, Josie's ankles were aching from trying to keep her balance, and she was close to knocking Jade down a few times, which she apologized profusely for. Still, Josie enjoyed the light breeze whizzing past her, and the feeling of the ground passing beneath her skates. When she took a break near the wall surrounding the rink, Jade showed her a few tricks she had learned from Wendy and helped Josie practice them, snickering when Josie sequentially tumbled to the ground. After a while, they took a break, talking and getting to know each other while they watched Wendy and Diego race around the rink. 

"It's cool that you're a twin.", Jade stated, taking another fry from the basket she and Josie had decided to share. "I have three older sisters. I always wanted a sibling closer to my age when I was younger." "It has its pros and its cons, I guess.", Josie responded with a half-hearted shrug. "As much as I love Lizzie, sometimes I feel like I'm invisible next to her." "Well, for what it's worth," Jade stated, reaching across the table to squeeze Josie's hand. "I don't think you're invisible. I believe you are an incredible person, Josie. Anyone who doesn't see that is either blind or dense." Josie looked at Jade in wonder, then at their joined hands on the table. She opened her mouth to say something but went unheard as Wendy and Diego skated up to the table. "C'mon, slowpokes. We only have an hour before curfew." Jade and Josie shared a look, one that asked a silent question. Jade shrugged- I'm down if you are, her expression seemed to say. Josie nodded, her smirk challenging Jade's hopeful smile. - sure, just lead the way. Together, the two returned to the rink just as a slower song blared through the arena. 

Later that evening, the group walked back to school together. Diego and Wendy split off to their respective rooms, while Jade insisted on walking Josie back to her room. Both girls were quiet until they reached Josie's dorm, and the younger girl turned to the elder one with a broad smile on her face. "Thank you for inviting me.", Josie thanked her in a hushed voice, as to not disturb the other students around them. 'I had a fun time, and it was nice getting to know Wendy and Diego...and you." Jade glanced at her, her eyes searching Josie's for a moment, studying her reaction. Jade's eyes flickered from Josie's brown irises to her lips as she bit hers nervously. "Would it be too forward of me to...uh," Jade began, shuffling nervously. She sighed, stepping forward. "Oh, fuck it.", she mumbled just before she brought her lips to Josie's. Though the kiss was unexpected, Josie found herself kissing back, softly and sweetly as Jade's hands came up to cup her face in her hands. The two girls pulled away, and when Josie opened her eyes, she could see the nervousness written across the blonde's face. "Woah," Josie muttered, still trying to catch her breath. Jade laughed nervously, her fingertips dancing lightly across Josie's skin. "A good 'Woah' or a bad one?" Jade questioned, the look in her eyes flashing between hope and dread. Josie didn't answer. 

Instead, she grasped Jade by the waist, pulling her closer as their lips met once again.  
__________________________________________________________  
"So," Penelope proposed as she sprawled out on Josie's bed. "How was your date last night?" Josie glanced up from her book, her eyes wide open as she looked up at Penelope. "I-It wasn't a date.", Josie stammered, swallowing hard before ducking her head back down into her book. "It was just a hangout with Jade and her friends." "Yeah, and how long did you and Jade stay with the rest of the group?", Penelope asked, chuckling lowly under her breath when Josie was unable to answer her question. "It was so totally a date, and from that blush on your cheeks, I'm guessing it was a perfect one." "You don't know what you're talking about, Penelope.", Josie replied with a scoff, turning her attention back to her book. "Jade and I are just friends. I like hanging out with her, and her friends are fun to be around, too." "So you're telling me nothing happened with Jade?", Penelope questioned, her arms crossed over her chest. "Nothing at all?" Josie bit her lip between her teeth, avoiding Penelope's gaze. "That's what I said.", Josie confirmed in a slightly more high pitched voice than usual. Penelope gave her a disbelieving look, narrowing her eyes at the girl from her place on the bed. Unable to handle Penelope's gaze on her any longer, Josie cracked under its pressure.  
"Okay, so maybe Jade kissed me.", Josie admitted, setting the book down in her lap. "And maybe I kissed back, but it doesn't mean anything...right?" The stunned look on Penelope's face vanished, and her features grew cold as she watched Josie nervously fidget on the other side of the room. "I don't know, Josie.", Penelope responded with a sigh. "I mean, how much do you know about this girl? She could be a complete psychopath, and you wouldn't even know." "Well, I mean, would it hurt to get to know her?", Josie reasoned with a hopeful glint in her eyes. "This is the first girl who's ever shown feelings for me back." When Penelope didn't acknowledge Josie's words, she groaned loudly. "C'mon, Penelope.", she begged. "I'm asking for your help here; I don't want to fuck up with Jade." "I can't tell you what to do, Josie.", Penelope snapped, only realizing how harsh her tone was when Josie jumped back in surprise.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be a bitch about it, but I don't have great experiences in the whole Romance department, either." Penelope moved down to the edge of the bed, running her hands through her hair. "I can't even admit to the girl I'm into that I like her." Josie audibly gasped, and Penelope turned her head towards the unexpected sound. "Penelope Park has a crush?" she exclaimed with excitement. "Who is it? Please tell me it's not Rose because I will seriously throw up on your boots." "No, it's not Rose.", Penelope swore, rolling her eyes at the accusation. "It's someone else- someone kind, and sweet, and a much better person than I'll ever be, or could ever dream of being." "Wow, she sounds awesome, Penelope.", Josie cooed, starry-eyed, and smiling brightly. "Do I know her? Maybe I can help you shoot your shot." Penelope shook her head, picking at imaginary pieces of lint on her shirt. "If only it was that simple.", she groaned. "But, well, the truth is I think she's into someone else. It's okay, though. She deserves much better than me, anyway." Josie was preparing to implore further, but the door to Josie's room swung open, and the petite blonde stepped in, the coat Penelope hadn't realized Josie had taken from her room yet folded neatly in her arms. 

"Is this a bad time?" Jade asked with an uncomfortable grimace. "I just wanted to return Josie's jacket. I can come back later." "No, it's okay.", Penelope answered, hopping off the brunette's bed. She walked up to Jade, taking the jacket from her arms. "I was just leaving anyway. And this, by the way, is mine." She turned back to Josie, a constrained smile replacing the average smirk Josie was used to. "See you later, Josie.", she mumbled, walking out of the room and shutting the door firmly behind her. Josie turned her attention away from the door and back to Jade, who was shuffling awkwardly to Josie's bed. "I didn't mean to cause problems between you and Penelope.", Jade spoke remorsefully. "I knew I should have texted you instead of just dropping by, I-" "Hey," Josie whispered, stepping closer to Jade so that she could grab hold of the older girl's shaking hands. "You didn't do anything wrong. Penelope is just a naturally abrasive person; I wouldn't take it personally if I were you." 

Jade still looked unconvinced, but Josie could tell she was much more relaxed now that it was just the two. "So, did you come here to return my jacket?" Josie encouraged, lacing her fingers with Jade's. "Or did you maybe want to talk to me about something else?" Jade swallowed hard, a light pink flush covering her cheeks. "I was supposed to see this movie with Wendy this weekend, but she has this thing with her coven and can't come.", Jade explained, her words rushed and tumbling over each other, as if she was fighting the words out. "Since you said you normally don't have weekend plans, I thought...maybe...you'd want to come with me?" Josie nodded, watching as Jade's shoulders relaxed with visible relief. "I would love to go with you, I just have to clear it with my dad." Jade's face lit up, her smile so broad that Josie could see her cheeks' dimples. "Great, I'll see you Saturday then.", Jade stated cheerfully.

"I'll drop by your room around 6:30, and we can walk to town together." "Sounds like a plan.", Josie replied before her tone took on a more playful mood. "Maybe you can even earn yourself another goodnight kiss." Jade's eyes widened, and she ducked her head down in embarrassment. Still, through a curtain of blonde hair, Josie could see that her statement had pleased Jade. "I have to go study now, but I'll see you Saturday.", Jade said, earning a confirming nod from Josie. Jade waved goodbye and was out the door as quickly as she had come. 

Josie dropped onto the bed, sighing as she sunk into the pillows. Excitement bubbled inside her, flushing her cheeks and making the butterflies in her stomach fly wildly. Josie reached for her phone, eager to call Penelope and gush about her upcoming date, but her call went straight to voicemail. Josie became puzzled but tried to understand Penelope's point of view. She was probably still upset about being ejected from the room so abruptly, Josie figured. Josie would give her the space she wanted, and after that, they could apologize, and it would be as if nothing ever happened. That was just the way they were, Josie knew. One would do something, the other would get upset, and then they'd make up for it. All Josie had to do was wait. 

Josie had always thought of herself to be a patient person, but there was something about Penelope's absence that made Josie feel impatient and uneasy. The week had come and gone, and as Friday evening approached, Josie realized that she had not seen or heard from Penelope since the day she had stormed out of Josie's room. If it had been Hope, Lizzie, or anyone else, Josie would chalk it up to them being busy and let it be. Yet, this was Penelope. Yes, Josie knew she shouldn't have been so bothered by the girls' sudden disappearance. They were hardly acquaintances, a stone's throw away from being friends, and yet Josie missed the snarky witch. She missed their bitchy banter, the way Penelope drove her insane with just a few choice words and a look. Josie missed Penelope's random visits to her dorm room to hang out while Josie was studying, missed the corny texts Penelope would send- missed Penelope. She had been so lost in her sadness about Penelope that she'd hardly thought about her upcoming date. Now that it was only a few hours away, Josie wondered why she had even agreed to go in the first place. 

Josie sighed with frustration, throwing the clothes back down on her bed and putting her head in her hands. She had been raiding both her and Lizzie's closets for an hour, and she had yet to come up with an outfit she liked enough to wear. She cursed herself silently for all of the times Lizzie had offered to go clothes shopping with her because the only beautiful things Josie had to wear were the black dress her mother had bought her and her pressed uniform skirt and a blouse. Neither seemed good enough to wear on her date. Josie put her clothes back in her closet, shutting the door defeatedly. She checked her text messages once again, hoping that Hope or Lizzie had seen her distress signal and would come to assist her. Unfortunately, she was not so lucky. Josie wrapped her arms around herself subconsciously. Not only was she way in over her head, and entirely out of her comfort zone, but now Josie would have to figure out her problems alone. 

"Wow- you look like a mess," Penelope Park observed from the bedroom doorway, her infamous smirk and coy chuckle making Josie's ears burn pink with embarrassment. Josie turned away from Penelope's view, swallowing hard. "Well, it's nice that you finally decided to make an appearance.", Josie grumbled, smoothing out her bedsheets to keep her hands from shaking in Penelope's presence. "Did you finally decide to stop ignoring me?" "Okay, okay- I deserve that.", Penelope accepted, holding her hands up in mock surrender. "Still, when I heard Miss Josette Saltzman got asked on her first date, I just had to watch how that was working out." Penelope looked the girl up and down, suppressing her laughter. "I'm glad I dropped by because you look terrible." Josie rolled her eyes, groaning. Penelope laughed, stepping further into the room. She held out her hand, which Josie eyed curiously. "Come with me.", Penelope said nonchalantly. "What I don't know about relationships I make up in sex appeal. I'll make you look so good, your mother wouldn't even recognize you."'  
___________________________________________________________  
"Voila!" Penelope exclaimed, holding the mirror up so Josie could see her face. "It's not perfect since we're short on time, but-" "Woah.", Josie whispered, her eyes wide with shock. "No, you did amazing Penelope. I love it." "Then I've kept my word.", Penelope replied with a smug grin. "Now, about the outfit." Penelope walked over to the closet, opening the door and picking out a blouse and pants off the hangers. "These are a little too long on me, but they should be perfect for you.", Penelope explained as she tossed the items at Josie. "Go ahead, try them on." "Here? Now?" Josie asked, watching Penelope with curious eyes. "Yeah, go ahead.", Penelope assured her, closing the closet door and beginning to pack her makeup brushes back into their bag. "If you're uncomfortable, I can go outside for a moment." "No, it's fine.", Josie stated, picking the blouse up from where it had landed on Penelope's bed. "Can you turn around, please?" Penelope chuckled to herself at Josie's request, but respected her wishes and turned to face the door. Josie quickly slipped out of her comfortable clothes and into Penelope's before signaling to the other girl that it was safe for her to turn back around. 

Penelope twisted around to face Josie, smiling as she looked the girl up and down. "You look incredible.", Penelope stated, brushing a piece of lint off of Josie's shoulder. "Jade is one lucky girl, that's for damn sure." "I'm so nervous.", Josie disclosed in a voice hardly above a whisper. "What if I mess up? What if I completely make a fool out of myself, and Jade thinks I'm a complete loser?" Penelope placed her hands on Josie's shoulders to steady her, staring her straight in the eyes. "Listen to me, Josette Saltzman. I might not have always shown it, but I know that you are an amazing person- one any girl or guy should feel honored to have.", Penelope stated in a tone that was not open to objection. "So, you are going to go on this date with your head held high and sweep Jade off her feet." Josie held back her oppositions, instead choosing to simply nod her understanding to the riled up witch. Penelope let Josie go reluctantly, her features softening when she saw just how anxiety-ridden Josie was. "I know this sounds so fucking cliche, but just be yourself, Josie.", Penelope advised. "If she likes you, she'll appreciate you just how you are." "Since when did you become a motivational speaker?", Josie joked, provoking Penelope to roll her eyes, hiding her gaiety behind an unamused expression. 

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you don't know as much about me as you think you do?"   
___________________________________________________________________  
"I'm so sorry again that I didn't mention that this was a horror movie.", Jade apologized once again, taking her seat next to Josie. "It slipped my mind that you might be scared of them." "It's okay, I'll survive," Josie consoled Jade, taking the popcorn from her date's hands. "You'll be here to protect me, right?" "Of course.", Jade whispered, slipping her hand into Josie's and squeezing it reassuringly. "I'm right here if you get scared." The lights in the theater dimmed down, and Josie could feel her heartbeat speed up in the room's eerie ambiance. Jade must have also picked up on Josie's nerves because she didn't move her hand from Josie's when the movie's beginning scenes played on the large screen in front of them. In the beginning, Josie felt silly for being scared at all. The film was pretty slow-paced, and the scary parts were simply jumpscares that were more predictable than they were frightening. Unfortunately, Josie was only being led into a false sense of security. As the movie climaxed, Josie had a hard time even keeping her eyes on the screen. For most of the second half of the film, she spent the duration of it hiding her face in Jade's shoulder, shakily asking her when it was safe to look again. Jade, true to her word, was there every time Josie became frightened, shielding Josie from the movie's scariest scenes by enduring them, so Josie didn't have to.

When the lights lit up around them, and the movie's patrons began to exit the theater, Josie reluctantly looked up at Jade with teary eyes. "T-that wasn't so bad.", Josie whispered, her voice shaky and unconvincing. Jade stood up, and Josie followed her out of the theater, throwing the half-empty popcorn bucket into the trash. "Are you okay?" Jade asked with worry in her voice. "I'm sorry, next time you can pick the movie." "It's okay, honest.", Josie assured her, wrapping her arms around herself as they exited the building. "Besides the parts where I was screaming, It was a good movie." "Hey, let me make it up to you- maybe with a milkshake?", Jade offered, her soft smile illuminated by the outdoor lights. "It's the least I can do after making you suffer through a 90-minute movie." Josie nodded with excitement, her earlier anxieties forgotten. "That," she stated, grabbing Jade's hand and linking it with her's once again. "Sounds like a great idea."   
______________________________________________________  
Josie had only just entered her bedroom and closed the door behind her when she noticed the second presence in the room- one disheveled Penelope Park leaning against her bed, her short hair ruffled and unkempt, and a drained bottle of vodka lying at her feet. At first, Josie is confused about how she had gotten into the secured room, but cursed herself when she soon realized that she had been in such a hurry when leaving that she had forgotten to lock her bedroom door behind her. Penelope didn't even acknowledge Josie's entrance, her focus on the pictures hanging on Josie's walls: some with her friends, some with Lizzie, and some with her parents. Tears filled Penelope's eyes, her cheeks damp with the ones Penelope had been too exhausted and drunk to fight back. The floorboards creaked under Josie's feet as she approached, startling Penelope and causing the smaller girl to bang her head against the bed frame as she clambered to get up. Penelope hissed, tumbling back to the ground as she clutched her forehead in pain. Josie shook her head, crouching down to Penelope's level. "We need to work on your drinking habits," Josie mumbled, gently prying Penelope's hands away from her forehead so she could inspect the small gash on it. "Don't move.", Josie ordered, eyeing the drunken girl. "I'll be right back." 

When Josie returned, she found Penelope sprawled across her bed, staring up at the ceiling as if she was looking for the answers to her unasked questions in the beige paint. Josie placed the ice pack down next to Penelope, watching the girl with curious eyes. "I thought I told you not to move," she teased, her voice low and calm in the otherwise silent room. Penelope chuckled under her breath. "Don't you know by now, Saltzman, that I don't follow orders well?" she retorted, turning toward Josie and placing the ice pack against her forehead with a slight wince. "How was your date? The second date is usually the one where you get laid, right?" "Penelope!" Josie hissed, smacking the laughing girl's arm. "We had a nice night, I suppose. I don't think I'll be seeing her again, though." "What?" Penelope asked in surprise, her expression growing severe, her eyebrows quirked in curiosity. "I don't get it- I thought you liked Jade. You already said she's not a bad kisser, and it's not like you're hung up on someone else, so what's the problem?" 

Josie swallowed hard, averting her eyes away from Penelope. Her mind flickered back to the ice cream parlor, where she and Jade had been only an hour earlier. The place where Josie had her strange epiphany, the same one that wouldn't allow her to look Penelope in the eyes. Suddenly, the feeling hit her like a face full of ice water and shocking her to her very core. As Jade spoke about her post-college plans, her medical internship, and other things that Josie was too zoned out to listen to, she found her thoughts drifting to Penelope. She wondered what she was up to if she was missing Josie just as Josie missed her. That's when the realization hit her. The whole night she had spent with Jade had felt off, awkward and uncomfortable, and Josie had realized why- it wasn't Jade's hand that she wanted to hold as they walked around town, or that she wanted to suffer through horror movies with or kiss as they parted goodnight. Sure, Jade was an amazing girl, and Josie was aware that she was lucky to even have the blonde's attention. Still, every conscious thought in Josie's mind led her back to Penelope. The space in Josie's mind that should have belonged to Jade was already preoccupied. Josie had dropped her spoon in surprise, her eyes widening- Josie had feelings for Penelope. The signs had been there: the aching feeling in her chest when Josie caught Penelope's eyes, the fluttery feeling in her stomach when Penelope smiled, or brushed her hand against Josie's, and the burn of jealousy when Penelope had been with another girl. With all the evidence staring her right in the face, Josie had no choice but to face the truth she had been subconsciously oppressing- Josie Saltzman was impossibly, utterly, and terrifyingly infatuated with Penelope Park. 

I just don't think we're compatible.", Josie lied, shrugging her shoulders. "We went on a few dates, and it didn't work out; It happens." "Oh," Penelope stated, scraping at the nail polish on her nails. "Well, does Jade know that? As much as I don't care for her, it would be wrong for you to lead her on, y'know." Josie crawled under the covers, causing Penelope to shift over to the right side of the bed. "I'll talk to her in the morning," Josie said, silently making a promise to Penelope. "Right now, you need to sleep off the alcohol in your system, and I'm exhausted." "Do you want me to sleep in Lizzie's bed again, or should I just leave?", Penelope asked, swallowing hard. Josie let out a breathy sigh, relaxing into the mattress. "You can stay here if you want." Josie offered, holding her breath at her statement. "As long as you let me go to sleep." Josie reached over and turned off the lights, blanketing the room in darkness. Josie didn't know what to expect if Penelope would leave or stay, and she fought sleep for a few moments to get her answer. After a few seconds, she felt Penelope's weight shift as she turned over in the bed. "Goodnight, Josie.", Penelope mumbled, sleep already overpowering her. "Sweet dreams." Josie smiled in the darkness, ignoring the familiar fluttering in her stomach.

"Goodnight, Penelope; Sweet dreams."


	3. Chapter 3

Josie was startled awake early the next morning by a persistent knocking at her bedroom door. She begrudgingly rose from the bed, careful not to disturb the girl lightly snoring beside her. She threw open the door, ready to yell at the person bothering her at 6:30 on a Sunday morning, but could barely get a sound out before she was interrupted. In any other circumstance, seeing her father outfitted in a complete hazmat suit and gloves would amuse Josie, but instead, it only managed to sober her up from her grogginess. "Is your sister in here with you?" Alaric asked, his mask allowing Josie to just make out his words. "No, she stayed with Hope last night.", Josie explained, trying to peek over her father's shoulders. "What's going on- why are you dressed like that?" "The younger students let some of our spelled animals escape. We don't know how dangerous they could be, so we're taking precautions.", Alaric explained in a rushed manner, watching the hallways for any sign of activity. "Stay here, and don't open this door for anything. This school is under quarantine, effective immediately." Josie attempted to ask more questions, but her father forced her to shut the door, locking it from the outside once she did. 

Penelope, who had been awakened by Alaric's rushed, urgent conversation with Josie, came up behind the brunette, tapping her on the shoulder to catch Josie's attention. When she turned to face Penelope, she found the girl to still be slightly subdued by drowsiness, her hair tousled around messily, Josie's blanket draped on her shoulders like a cape. The sight made Josie's heart swoon, but she pushed her affections for Penelope away, shoving it aside to be dealt with later; There were more important things that needed her attention. "Hey, Josie- Josie!" Penelope exclaimed, snapping Josie out of her daydream. Concerned green eyes concentrated on Josie's, Penelope's eyebrow quirked in silent curiosity. "What was your dad talking about?" Josie sighed, running her hands through her hair restlessly.

"The school is on lockdown, so everybody is trapped in their rooms until my dad says it's safe." Visible relief washed over Penelope, a minute smile gracing her features. Josie, however, did not relate to Penelope's amusement at the situation. "How can you be so calm about all this?" Josie shouted, biting her lip between her teeth anxiously. "We're locked in here who knows how long, no clue of what is going on beyond this door!" Penelope, who had gone back to her previous spot on Josie's bed, simply shrugged. "I'm not worried because there isn't anything we can do about it, Josie. Your dad has this covered, so you need to sit down because your fidgetting is giving me anxiety." 

Josie rolled her eyes at Penelope's statement but reluctantly moved to sit next to Penelope on the bed. "This isn't your battle, Josie; This isn't something that you need to fix.", Penelope reminded her, leaning back against the headboard. Seeing that Josie was still tense, she snapped her fingers to get the younger girl's attention, a broad smile on her face. "Hey, watch this!" Penelope said with a mischievous grin. She mumbled an incantation under her breath, and a second later, multiple bags of junk food were littering Josie's bed. Josie's jaw dropped open in surprise, turning to Penelope for an explanation. Penelope simply laughed, picking up one of the nearest bags. "A simple modification to a transportation spell.", she revealed, the pride in her eyes making Josie giggle quietly. Penelope tossed a bag of chips over to the girl, which Josie scrambled to catch. Josie opened them as Penelope pulled up a movie on Josie's computer. "Have you ever seen tangled?" Penelope asked, grabbing a flying piece of popcorn between her teeth. Josie shook her head, and Penelope pressed play on the screen. "If you ever tell anyone that I like Disney movies, I will deny it.", Penelope threatened her softened demeanor, amusing Josie instead of scaring her. Josie laughed, tossing a chip at Penelope, which made the latter girl gasp in mock surprise. "I always knew, deep down, you were a total softie, Penelope." A dark blush spread across Penelope's cheeks, and she turned her head so her hair would cover the evidence of it from Josie's view.

"Careful, Saltzman- before I show you just how much of a badass I can truly be."   
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"You're kidding!" Josie exclaimed, covering her mouth in surprise. "You were the student they found breaking into the potions lab?!" "I had no other choice!" Penelope cried, putting her hands over her face in guilt. "I wasn't going to let someone else find that love potion- which ended up being way more trouble than it was worth, by the way. I didn't even end up using it cause I found out my crush had a girlfriend anyway." "Ouch," Josie sympathized, feeling the second-hand embarrassment for younger Penelope. "That's...rough; I'm so sorry." "It's okay- not like it matters now. He turned out to be a cheater anyway. I guess I dodged a bullet.", Penelope explained before turning her attention to Josie. "Okay, your turn, Saltzman: truth or dare?" Josie thought for a moment before answering. "I guess I'll pick truth?" she replied hesitantly, the butterflies in her stomach fluttering as she waited for Penelope's question. 

Penelope scooted closer to Josie, her mood taking on a more serious tone. "What is the real reason that you don't want to be with Jade?" Penelope asked, her eyes following Josie's as they're gaze fell to the ground. When Josie hesitated in answering, Penelope did something unexpected- she squeezed Josie's hand in support. "It's okay, Josie.", Penelope assured her gently. "You can talk to me about it, you know. I'm not gonna, like, judge you or anything." "I don't know, Penelope," she lied, swallowing hard after the bitter words left her mouth. "I guess...I just like someone else." "I knew it!" Penelope exclaimed, clearly proud of herself. "Who is it? Is it Hope? Oh my god, it's Hope, right? I could see you two as a couple." "It's not Hope!" Josie yelled, her voice shaky, and her eyes glossed over with unshed tears. "It doesn't matter who it is, because she'd never feel the same way about me. So, please, just leave it alone." Penelope quieted, contemplating Josie's disturbed reaction to her questioning. Josie snapped out of her staring contest against Penelope, standing from her place on the floor. "I don't think I want to play anymore." 

Josie expected Penelope to say something in reaction to the outburst- maybe tease her, pry the answer out of her, or even demand to know the answer Josie was keeping from her- but, instead, Penelope stayed in quiet contemplation. An awkward tension filled the air around them, making Josie unnerved and expectant. Just as the rigid silence verged on being unbearable, Penelope got up from her space on the floor, facing Josie, who was now seated at her desk. "Why is it that you never give yourself the credit you deserve?" Penelope asked, cautiously stepping closer to Josie. The question left Josie without an answer, but Penelope didn't appear to be expecting one. "You're an extraordinary person, Josie, and yet you treat yourself like you're expendable, replaceable; Unimportant." Penelope sighed, pausing to let Josie take in her words. "You're so used to counting yourself out that you don't see what's right in front of you. That people love you, Josie, and not because they have to, but because they want to." Penelope wiped at her eyes, drying the tears threatening to spill over. "That's why I used to be so jealous of you, Josie. You have people who genuinely, unconditionally embrace you. I never had that; I had parents who were forced to care for me, siblings who snubbed my existence, and friends who were only nice to me because they feared me. Seeing you, with all of this attention and support, and taking it for granted? It angered me. So, I started trying to take that from you so you would appreciate it more." 

"That was wrong of me- I know that now. Instead of making you more aware of the people who love you, I made you believe they didn't exist.", Penelope continued, placing her head in her hands shamefully. "You weren't taking all that love for granted, you just couldn't feel it. You were- well, you felt just like I did." Penelope hesitated, swallowing hard before speaking again. "No one should feel that way- no one deserves that kind of suffering. But you, especially, don't deserve to feel like you're alone, lost in a world that is lying at your fingertips." Once Penelope's speech had ended, Josie sat quietly, unable to produce words that could explain the thoughts racing through her mind. Had Penelope been jealous of her? Was Penelope admitting her mistakes? And, most surprisingly, she was remorseful for them? It felt as if everything Josie was confident knowing about Penelope, was only what Penelope had projected, what Penelope had wanted Josie to see. Now, staring at the exposed witch, Josie could see who Penelope was- a vulnerable girl merely trying to protect herself from a world and a population she had never felt attached to. So why, Josie wondered, did Penelope consider her to be any different? 

"You're different because, unlike every other selfish, obnoxious, evil person in this fucked up world, you're pure. You're a giver and not a taker.", Penelope explained, picking at the polish on her nails. "Even when I gave you so many reasons to hate me, and even though I tried so hard to hide it, you found the good in me. Good, I didn't even know existed until I met you. You are peace, and you are safety, and you're the most incredible person I've ever met." Penelope laughed bitterly, throwing her hands up in the air. "I couldn't have hated you even if I tried- and I did. But instead, you planted this warmth in my heart, and now every time I look at you, all I want to do is kiss you and force you to see you like I do." Penelope's eyes widened, her hand going up to cover her mouth once she'd registered what she'd admitted. Josie's focus snapped to Penelope, an equally shocked expression on her face. Penelope hastened to explain herself, but Josie stopped her. Her voice had been so minute and insecure that Penelope had to ask her to repeat it. Josie complied, pushing her tone to be less timid and bolder instead. 

"So why haven't you?" Josie asked, a hint of challenge in her voice. She stood from her desk seat, standing as straight as she could in front of the opposing witch. "I thought Penelope Park got what she wanted when she wanted it." Penelope's visage blanked as she processed Josie's words, but once she convinced herself that she had, in fact, heard Josie right, the wicked smirk and mischievous glint in her eyes returned. "I do.", Penelope stated assuredly, shortening to distance between herself and Josie with a few curt steps. "I always get what I want; And what I want, right now, is you." "So what are you waiting for?", Josie asked, her body trembling with nerves but her concentration on Penelope's eyes firm. "Take what you want." Penelope didn't need to be told twice; the second the words left Josie's lips, she was pulling the brunette flush towards her body, making Josie gasp. Penelope's sight darted between Josie's eyes and her lips for a few breathless seconds before Josie could barely feel the ghost of Penelope's lips against hers. She closed her eyes, anticipating the moment they finally met. 

A pounding on the door broke the girl's apart, and Penelope pushed Josie away in surprise, causing Josie to cry out as the desk's hardwood made contact with her lower back. Penelope murmured an apology, which Josie waved away. "Go get the door!" she whispered, rubbing her back to soothe the worsening pain. Penelope rushed to the door, struggling to pull open the knob before realizing it was locked on the outside. "I know you're in there!" Lizzie hollered, pounding on the door yet again. "You're the only person left in quarantine; Well, you and the dark witch herself. It's almost like she disappeared- if only we were so lucky."

Penelope rolled her eyes, shooting a stern look at Josie when she heard quiet snickering coming from her direction. "First of all, I prefer evil temptress.", Penelope corrected her, grinning when she faintly heard Lizzie cursing to herself on the door. "Second, your dad locked us in here from the outside, so we can open the door even if we were willing to tolerate you right now." "Tolerate me? You're in my damn room!" Lizzie yelled as the door began to glow a deep orange color. Seconds later, the door flung open, nearly slamming into Penelope in the process. Lizzie marched into the room, turning her attention between the injured Josie and the seemingly annoyed Penelope with curious eyes.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Lizzie scolded harshly, pointing at Penelope accusingly. "I didn't do anything! You're the one that interrupted us!" Penelope yelled back, her hands planted firmly on her hips. "She didn't just injure herself, and we all know you have no problems hurting innocent people.", Lizzie growled, creeping closer to Penelope with her hands balled into tight fists. "So, you better start explaining yourself, Park." Penelope turned to Josie, who stayed quiet in her sister's presence. She sighed in disbelief, making Josie feel more distressed than she already had. "You know what? I was just leaving anyway.", Penelope stated, collecting her things from Josie's room. "I'll see you later, Josie." Josie cried out Penelope's name to stop her, but the fiery witch was already out the door. "What did you do that for?" Josie scolded her sister, moving tentatively to her own bed. She winced as she sat down, stopping Lizzie from her late attempt to help Josie. "You should be glad I cleansed our room of the she-devil.", Lizzie exclaimed, shaking her head incredulity. "Why was she even here? You can't be friendly to her, Josie; I refuse to let her turn my twin into another one of her evil little minions." Josie sighed, flipping her light off and turning away from Lizzie. "Are you seriously just going to ignore me, Josie?", Lizzie scoffed, her voice laced with annoyance. Josie stayed silent, and moments later, she heard Lizzie exit the room. She breathed a sigh of relief, allowing her pent up stress to release through her tears. Only a few short months ago, Josie would have agreed with Lizzie.; Now, however, she knew better. Penelope wasn't evil or malicious. 

Penelope was as they all were- unmistakably human.  
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"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Caroline implored, snapping Josie out of her daydream. Josie blinked once, then twice, before nodding her head unsurely. She picked up the teacup from her mother's kitchen table, holding it in her sweating palms. Caroline eyed her daughter suspiciously, closing her laptop and setting it aside to give Josie her full attention. "What's going on, sweetheart? You've been acting strangely ever since you arrived, you declined going with Lizzie and me to the art museum, and now it's like you are staring right through whatever it is you're looking at.", Caroline told, her observations making Josie wriggle in her seat uncomfortably. "The sooner you get whatever it is bothering you off your chest, you will truly enjoy the limited time we have together before you have to return to school. So, tell me what's on your mind, kiddo." Josie stilled, questioning if she could trust her mother with the knowledge she did not yet understand herself. 

Josie had spent the beginning of the break keeping her thoughts of Penelope concealed, telling herself that her feelings for the snarky, charming witch could wait to be determined after she returned to the Salvatore school. Penelope, however, had taken up more real estate in Josie's mind than she'd expected, popping into her thoughts like a subliminal message at the most inconvenient of times. Josie had hoped that her inner turmoil hadn't been apparent, and for Lizzie, at least, it was. Josie cursed to herself; She should have expected that hiding her emotions from her mother's observance would be difficult. Then again, a part of Josie was relieved that her mother had challenged her, and the words tumbled out of her before Josie could have enough time to think them over. She started at the beginning- Observing Penelope at the party, to becoming her sparring partner, to spending that first night with Penelope in her dorm room. Josie spoke about Jade, and how- while Jade was a pleasant person, and a great friend- Josie couldn't be with her without yearning to be with Penelope more. She recalled being stuck in quarantine with Penelope, and their conversation leading to their near kiss. Caroline simply listened as her daughter purged the thoughts in her mind, waiting until Josie had mentally exhausted herself before sharing her own insight. 

"It seems that you and Penelope have some mutual feelings.", Caroline stated, taking a sip from her own lukewarm cup of tea. "Do you believe that they are worth exploring?" Josie sighed, collecting her thoughts before speaking again. "I really like Penelope, mom, and if it was just about having feelings for her, of course, I'd want to work out being with her." Josie swallowed hard, shaking her head slightly. "But it's not. There's so much more to it. For one, Penelope has a reputation to uphold, one that's very important to her. Being with me would destroy her image. Secondly, Penelope and I are so...different. She's loud and outspoken, and she's unapologetically herself. I'm the complete opposite of those things." "Who says that you and Penelope have to be similar people?", Caroline questioned, tilting her head curiously. "Some of my best relationships were with people that we're polarly opposite of me. Even now, Stefan and I have many differing qualities; That doesn't make me love him any less. It just gives more for me to admire about him." 

"Is that so?" the man in question asked, leaning over to kiss Caroline on the cheek. "I never knew that before." Caroline laughed, playfully swatting Stefan in the shoulder. "Oh, hush you. I was just giving Josie some examples of opposites that attract. She has herself a bit of girl trouble." "Mom!" Josie explained, hiding her face in embarrassment from her stepfather. "Oh my god." "Well, I'm not too wise on that topic, but if girl trouble turns to "trouble" trouble, we've got you back, kiddo." "Thanks, Stefan," Josie replied, her cheeks still flushed red with humiliation. Stefan nodded, kissing Caroline one more time before disappearing into the adjacent room. Caroline watched him leave, smiling broadly, before turning back to her daughter with a content gleam in her eyes. "I can't tell you how your relationship with Penelope will work out, sweetheart, but I can assure you this without an inkling of doubt."

"Love is always worth the risk."


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey, I didn't know you were back already. How was Europe?" 

Josie glanced up from the suitcase she had begun unpacking, smiling shyly at the girl standing in her doorway. Josie noticed Penelope had cut her hair about two inches shorter over the break, the new length falling just above her shoulders. Penelope had taken an awkward stance- Her arms hanging rigidly at her sides, the soft blush covering her cheeks creeping its way to her ears' tips. It was most definitely a far cry from the ordinarily confident aura that Penelope. Josie couldn't remember the last time she had seen Penelope so tense. "Europe was fun.", Josie stated, folding one of her sleep shirts and tucking it away into the dresser. "It was nice seeing my mom and my stepdad, but I'm happy to be back." "I'm happy you're back, too.", Penelope admitted, hesitantly shuffling over to the bed, resting on the edge opposite of Josie. "There's something I need to say." "So do I," Josie added, noticing Penelope's jaw clenched when she spoke. "You said it first, though, so go ahead." Penelope nodded, clearing her throat nervously before speaking. 

"I've been trying to practice this moment for two weeks now, you know that?", Penelope declared, not pausing to wait for Josie's answer. "I wrote long, cheesy speeches and acted out the whole thing, and yet now that you're here, I don't remember any of it. Which isn't surprising, because everything about you leaves me speechless." Penelope chuckled lowly under her breath, unable to suppress her amusement at the ridiculousness of her words. "That night, after I left your room, I couldn't stop thinking about what almost happened- how electrifying it felt. How, if your sister hadn't interrupted us, I wouldn't have to wonder what it would feel like to kiss you anymore because I would know from experience." Josie bit her lip nervously between her teeth, feeling her own face radiate with heat at Penelope's statement. "What I couldn't understand- what I still don't understand- is that you didn't stop me; You fucking encouraged me. And I'm so terrified to ask this- because I like what we have, and if you only wanted to be friends, I would completely understand, but- why the hell didn't you stop me? Because if it was just an in the moment reflex-"

Penelope never got the chance to finish her sentence, cut off by the force of Josie's body crashing into hers. Josie reached up to cup Penelope's face in her hands, melting into Penelope's hands, and they came up to rest around her neck. After the initial shock had worn off, Josie could feel Penelope reciprocate the kiss, her movements eager and skilled. Penelope tasted like cherries and peppermint gum, and Josie had never realized before how addicting those two things could be. Josie kissed Penelope until the air in her lungs ran out, making every strained breath burn most satisfyingly. Josie pulled away, breathless, leaning her forehead against Penelope's. "Does that answer you're question?" she asked between breaths, her chest fluttering when Penelope let out a cheerful laugh. The worry previously occupying Penelope's features had disappeared, replaced instead by a beaming, content smile. "You don't know how long I've been dreaming of doing that.", Penelope admitted with a grin. "Oh, really?" Josie challenged, tilting her head curiously. "How long?" "Way too long," Penelope chuckled, tucking a piece of Josie's hair behind her ear. "Still, it was well worth the wait." 

Josie blushed, brushing her fingertips against Penelope's arm. "So, what does this mean?" Josie asked nervously, tracing patterns into Penelope's skin. "Does this change things? Are we, what, together now?" "I don't know.", Penelope admitted with a half-hearted shrug. "It can mean anything we want it to mean. Nothing has to change, or everything can change. I like you, Josie, but I've never done the whole relationship thing. I don't want to fuck whatever this is up." "Neither do I.," Josie agreed with a disheartened sigh. "What if we, I don't know, took things slow? Keep it between us, and just see where we end up? Because I'm not ready for Lizzie to know or my dad." "I think that's a great idea.", Penelope replied, interlacing her fingers with Josie's. "Whatever you want, Josie, I'm willing to try. I waited nearly six months just to hold your hand like this- when it comes to you, I can be a pretty patient person."

Josie scooted closer to Penelope, who enveloped Josie into her arms intuitively. They sat, intertwined, for a time, both not willing to break the small, peaceful bubble they had created for themselves. Outside closed doors, they were still Josie and Penelope; two girls that couldn't stand the other. Enemies in the purest sense of the word. When they were alone, the exact opposite was true. Lying in Penelope's arms, Josie couldn't recall the last time she felt such tranquility. Still, Josie wasn't naive- Being with Penelope wouldn't be as simple as it seemed. Penelope and Josie were still very complex people; There were always obstacles and hindrances that they would have to face eventually. Nevertheless, they were willing to try. They were prepared to take a risk.

And maybe, Josie thought to herself, that could be enough- at least for the immediate future.  
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A month into their new relationship, Josie feels like she's on top of the world. 

Being with Penelope is new, fun, and exciting. When they're around other people, Penelope is cold and distant, playing her role in their act of being mortal enemies. However, when they're alone, the real Penelope springs to life- the girl that holds Josie like she is the most valuable thing in the world. The person who murmurs to Josie how beautiful she looks, who is sensitive and loving. The secretiveness of their relationship is frustrating, yet thrilling. As much as Josie wishes she could hold Penelope's hand in public, to scream from the rooftops that Penelope is hers and that Josie is Penelope's, she knows that doing so would be dangerous. So, she bears the sharp looks in the halls, the scornful laughs targeted in her direction, and the chorus of amused laughter. She carries the burden of Penelope's harassment, reminding herself that the version of Penelope she knows and loves would never say such things. It was all merely an act, and as hard as it was, Josie had to simply play along. 

Two months into her relationship with Penelope, Josie is content. 

The anticipation of summer break in only a few short weeks relaxes her, relieves the stress of finals enough that Josie no longer feels like she's losing her mind. The best part is that, though Josie and Penelope will be apart for the summer, they will only be separated by a few hours. Penelope's family's home in Belgium, they'd discovered, was only a day's trip away from her mother's house. This information had excited the couple, and their plans to meet up during the break kept Josie motivated to make it through the dreaded last weeks of the school year. Arrangements set for the next few months, the only thing left to do was turn in her projects, take the dreaded final exam, and prepare to spend three consecutive months with her sister, mom, and girlfriend.

The second to last day of the school year happens to land on their three month anniversary, and Josie decides she wants to do something special for Penelope. She begs Hope for her aunt Rebekah's pie recipe, places Penelope's favorite order for pick up at the Mystic Grill, and makes up an excuse that Josie would be studying late in the library, and not to wait up for her to get back. With all her bases covered, the only thing left to do is to let Penelope in on her surprise. With a bundle of wrapped Daffodils in her hands- Penelope's favorite flowers- and the anticipations to see Penelope's face light up at Josie's romance attempt, she nervously heads to her girlfriend's room. It only takes a few moments to reach Penelope's dorm, but it takes less than a second for Josie to stop in her tracks upon hearing the heated conversation behind closed doors. Josie knows it's rude and an invasion of Penelope's privacy to listen in, so she spins around to walk back to her room, telling herself she would come back in a little while when Penelope was free. At least, that had been her intentions; But as soon as Josie heard her name be spoken, all rational thought completely disappeared. Josie stepped closer to the door, siphoning the lock on the door to creak it open enough to peek inside. 

Locked in a standstill were Penelope and the girl Josie hated more than anyone else in the Salvatore School- Rose Sycamore. Though she couldn't see Rose's face, she could see Penelope's- there was anger in her girlfriend's eyes, but behind that hurt also shone through. Whatever it was that Rose was saying, it was affecting Penelope deeply. "What I do in my free time isn't any of your business!", Penelope growled, pointing an accusatory finger at the redhead. "I'm your leader, not the other way around. I don't take your commands." Rose laughed, changing her stance as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You really think you would keep your reputation when everyone finds out that, of all people, Josie Saltzman wormed her way into your heart?", Rose threatened, her words causing a flicker of fear to pass in Penelope's features. Rose must have also noticed it because her stature grew more confident, her words laced with more venom. "I knew it; Wait until everyone here's how weak the mighty Park coven heir really is." "Josie doesn't mean anything, okay? I was just toying with her because she makes herself such an easy target.", Penelope explains, her eyes growing colder than Josie's ever seen. "She's just desperate and naive, and I thought it was funny. That's it. She's nothing to me." 

Josie steps back, dropping the flowers on the floor in front of Penelope's door. The sound echoes throughout the hallway, and the movement within Penelope's room ceases. Josie turns on her heel and flees down the hall, just making it out of sight before she hears Penelope's door open. Tears run freely down Josie's cheeks, and her chest burns as she processes Penelope's words. The realization hits her like a bullet, hurts just the same- Lizzie was right. Penelope had merely been playing with her feelings, preying on her insecurities for her own twisted enjoyment. It had only been a game to Penelope; Josie had never meant anything to the raven-haired witch. The notion brings Josie to her knees, makes her feel like she's about to be sick. Penelope never loved her; It was all merely an act. 

Josie rises shakily to her feet once Penelope's door closes again, races down the hall, and as far away from Penelope's room as she can manage. Her thoughts are foggy, and she wanders through the building in a daze. Josie is lost; Far away from the witches' dorms, she's made her way to the first place Josie thought of- room 1249, on the school's vampire wing. Josie hesitates to knock. She and Jade haven't even spoken since Josie told her that she and Penelope were dating. Josie is unsure where their friendship stands, but at the current moment, Josie can't bring herself to care. She's tired and burdened with emotion, uncertain if she can even make the walk back to her own room in her operative state. So, she knocks on the door with two quick raps against the wood, and seconds later, the door squeaks open, and Jade appears from behind it. 

And Josie doesn't know why, but the sight of the blonde breaks her, and Jade has to scramble to grab hold of Josie before she comes crashing to the ground. The confusion in her features is replaced with rapid concern, and she scoops Josie up in her arms as if she is the most fragile thing in the world. Jade carries Josie inside, ignoring a bewildered Wendy's curious glance, and then Josie is lying in Jade's bed, quiet sobs wracking her body. Jade settles herself in her own bed before pulling Josie closer, running her fingers through the smaller girl's hair as she cries the pain out of her heart. The comfort of Jade's firm hold is appreciated, and Josie uses it as the anchor to ground her to the present, even as it feels her world is crashing down around her. Josie knows Jade is confused, and once she's ready to speak again, she definitely owes the girl an explanation, but Josie is relieved that the blonde asks no questions, simply lets Josie feel. And it's then and there that Josie decides she's made the right decision because being in Jade's arms is probably one of the safest places Josie will ever know. 

Once her sobs quiet down to weary sniffles, Josie simply lays against Jade's chest, listening to the clock on Jade's nightstand tick down the seconds. Though the initial shock of Penelope's words have worn off, the hurt is still there, and it's overwhelming. Makes Josie want to scream, or set something on fire- set herself on fire- just to feel something different. The rawness of it clouds Josie's emotions, and it makes her next actions a blur. 

She doesn't know who initiated the first kiss- could have been her, could have been Jade; Josie is unsure- but the familiarity of the action ignites something within Josie. The pain is still hungry, but the harder she kisses Jade, the rougher she presses her body against Jade's, it numbs. Her senses are overwhelmed by the blonde- she feels Jade's tentative hands against her body, tastes Jade's minty mouthwash, smells Jade's perfume, and it is all so overwhelming and not enough at the same time. Their kisses aren't tentative and sweet, but rushed and rough and precisely what Josie needs. For a little while, Josie forgets that her heart is shattered; She forgets Penelope's laugh and soft words, and she ignores the emptiness in her heart. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knows what she's doing is wrong, but Jade tastes like revenge, and Josie's addicted to how good it feels. 

And when Jade brings her to that treacherous high, Josie finds herself praying that she never comes back down.


	5. Chapter 5

Summer comes and goes all too fast for Josie's liking, and the first semester of Josie's junior year start in what feels like the blink of an eye. After three months of relaxation and spending time with her mother and sister, to say Josie dreaded going back to school was an understatement. The apprehension and panic only grew as her father pulled up to the Salvatore school, winding up the driveway and dropping the twins at the front door. Josie followed her sister to their bedroom, barely batting an eye once Lizzie dropped her things on the bed and dashed out of the door. Unlike Josie, Lizzie was buzzing with excitement at the prospect of a new school year, her thoughts concentrated on all the new possibilities in her future. However, Josie could not enjoy a new beginning when she knew her heart was still stuck in the past. Summer had provided a good distraction for Josie, but now that she was back, she had nothing to deflect her from her painful dilemmas and the people she had left behind.

"Hey," a voice called timidly from the doorway, stepping into the room cautiously. When Josie looked up, she did not expect what she saw. Jade had dyed her hair a deep brown color, and Josie could barely recognize the girl underneath. However, more importantly, Jade looked happier; A lot brighter than before they had left for break. "I saw your dad pull up. I just wanted to see how you were doing." Josie forced a smile for the girl, opening her arms to embrace Jade in a friendly hug. Jade accepted, pulling away after a few elongated moments. "I'm good- better, I think.", Josie lied, biting her tongue harshly to keep the truth from spilling out. "How's Inez?" Jade's face lit up at the mention of her girlfriend, and Josie was sure if she could, Jade would be blushing. "She's good- she went back to school last week, which kinda sucks. I don't see her as much right now, but we have a date this weekend." The way Jade smiles at the very mention of her girlfriend's name pains Josie, but she's unsure if it's from nostalgia or jealousy. However, she hides it with a smile. "That's great!" Josie exclaims, placing a hand on Jade's forearm. "I'm glad you found someone who makes you happy; You of all people deserve it." "Thanks.", Jade says, snapping out of her pleasant daydreams and into the present. "Hey, you want to go grab something from the cafeteria? I'm starving." Josie shrugs indifferently; She hadn't noticed it until just then, but her stomach was growling with hunger as well. "That sounds great," Josie agrees, placing her things down on her bed. "C'mon- we should go before the wolves get there- you know how territorial they can be."   
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"Jade! Josie! Welcome back!" Wendy hollered, scooting over to make room for the two girls. "You're just in time to see pictures of Diego and I's trip to Spain!" "As If I didn't see enough photos of you two all over Insta.", Jade quipped, rolling her eyes at her friends. "You only posted like three a day for a week." "As if you didn't do the same with Inez," Wendy retorted, pointing her finger at Jade accusingly. "I didn't know there were so many places to take pictures in an ice cream shop." The two began bickering back and forth, and Diego and Josie shared a mutually humored look. "You can tell they've missed each other when the first thing they do is break out into a fight.", Diego remarked, causing Josie to giggle earnestly. "Anyway, how was your summer Jos?" Josie shrugged, stabbing into her salad and swallowing hard, avoiding eye contact with the boy. "I stayed with my mom and stepdad all summer. I, uh...I couldn't be here." Diego quirked an eyebrow at the girl quizzically. "Couldn't be or didn't want to be?" he asked, answering his own question after Josie neglected to answer his question. Diego sensed the subject's sensitivity and left his question unanswered; for that, Josie was grateful. She wasn't yet ready to talk openly about the dilemmas she'd done so much to avoid. 

The cafeteria doors slammed open, and in walked the person Josie least wanted to see- Penelope Park. She seemed rejuvenated and refreshed from the summer, her face stone cold as she made her entrance. Behind her was her usual posse, unusually still and stoic from their positions. With a single snap, the witches dispersed to their table, allowing Penelope to walk alone. One of her observant, green eyes caught Josie's, and the smaller girl could see just a flicker of recognition in Penelope's eyes before she turned away sharply. With just a second's glance, Josie felt the familiar sadness and twinge in her chest, the suddenness of it all bringing tears to Josie's eyes. Jade placed a hand on Josie's arm, her expression distressed. "Are you okay?" she whispered, remembering very well how sore of a subject the raven-haired girl was for Josie. However, the girl in question said nothing; Josie silently excused herself from the table, walking out of the cafeteria with as much grace and indifference as could be faked. As soon as she was out the doors, however, she raced down the hallway in a flash to the safety and comfort. 

Josie slammed the door behind her, tears running freely down her cheeks. She hated how powerless Penelope made her feel- how her very presence made Josie feel like she was drowning in the very air she breathed. It was a terrible feeling, and Josie punched the wall in exasperation. The pain stung in her knuckles, but Josie couldn't bring herself to care. Leaning her head against the wall, she allowed herself time to let her breathing return to normal. Josie wiped the tears away from her face roughly; Letting Penelope get to her so smoothly was just yet another sign of Josie's weakness. If she was going to get through another year of being in Penelope's vicinity, she was going to have to have to be less soft for her; She was going to have to develop some kind of immunity to Penelope, and fast. Somehow, Josie was going to have to lay her feelings to rest. 

It was then that Josie remembered that her sister had a very sharp pair of scissors; For fashionable emergencies, she claimed. Knowing that she had access to them, this gave Josie an idea. Josie couldn't change herself overnight- that was a daunting and impossible task. She could, however, change how she looked quickly. It was a sort of a cliche to cut one's hair after a breakup, but Josie desperately needed a change. She unzipped her sister's suitcase, pulling the metal scissors out of Lizzie's sewing supplies. Josie snuck into the bathroom, studying herself in the mirror; When was the last time Josie'd had a haircut? Josie could not remember, and because of the fact that her hair nearly reached the middle of her back, she was most likely due for one. Josie took a lock of hair in her hands, running the scissor blade through it in a swift motion. The section of hair dropped to the floor in a clump, and Josie sighed with relief. The first cut had been the hardest, but there was no turning back after she had made it. Josie ran the scissors through her hair multiple times until it just reached her neck, scrunching her nose up at the piles of hair on the floor. This cliche was right. With each snip, Josie felt lighter than air. 

And as she rid herself of the excessive tresses, it felt a little like she was freeing herself of Penelope, too.  
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"I love your new look, Jo, I really do.", Hope stated, eyeing her closely. "But why? I mean, you look great, but it's so...bold." "Needed a change- new year, new me, y' know?", Josie shrugged, sketching tiny purple flowers into the corner of her paper. "Besides, I like it; It took me only twenty minutes to get ready this morning." Hope still seemed unconvinced, green eyes narrowed in concentration. "Because I mean, I've heard the rumors, but I wanted to ask you-" "Okay, class, quiet down.", Mrs.Veele announced, waltzing into the room to stand in front of her students. "I know there's a lot you'd like to catch up on with each other, but there's also much knowledge you need to catch up on as well."

The woman pulled a cloth off of the table, revealing a half-full beaker. The liquid inside was thicker than any other potion Josie had seen, almost so dark that she could see the light refracting off of it. The sight intrigued her, and yet made her feel queasy, too. "This is an obduxit veridicam- in simple terms, the elixir of truth-telling. Once used to uncover murderers and thieves within villages, it is hardly ever used today. However, it can be a potent tool, and today we are going to test its strength, and also get to know each other as classmates." The class began to mumble and groan, and Josie felt her lung seize in her chest.

"That's right, today we'll be working in pairs.", Mrs. Veele stated, clapping excitedly. "Above your heads is a color- simply match your color to your partners." Josie glanced over at Hope- her color was pink. On the other side of the room, Alyssa Chang's tone was an identical match. In front of her, Lizzie's color was red- which did not match Josie's green hue. Josie searched the room for her tone, and when she found it, her relief was brief before she noticed who was sitting under it. As the fates would have it, Josie had been paired up with none other than Penelope Park. 

And so, the girls sat in the empty classroom for their turn, the elixir sitting between them. Josie avoided Penelope's gaze, while the other girl appeared to be unphased by the entire situation. "Look, just take the thing so we can get this over with.", Penelope argued with annoyance in her voice. Josie crossed her arms stubbornly in front of her chest. "Why should I have to be the one to take it?" Josie complained, still avoiding looking the girl in the eyes. "I'm not the one with something to hide." Penelope sighed with exasperation, but Josie refused to relent. A period of silence passed between the two. "The only way to make this fair is for us both to take it.", Penelope insisted, holding the beaker up. Josie swallowed hard, regret building up as soon as she'd nodded her consent. Penelope took a deep breath before taking down half of the elixir- she gagged as it went down her throat. Josie copied her actions, grimacing at the taste. It reminded her of copper pennies and saltwater. 

"Now's your chance," Penelope stated, leaning back into her chair. "Ask me anything you want, but hurry- this thing only lasts 20 minutes, and that's split because we each took half." Josie refused to speak, and Penelope scoffed at her silence. "You made a big deal about not being the one to take it, and now you won't even ask me a question?", Penelope jeered, gritting her teeth harshly. "Fine, if you won't say it, I will- what the fuck happened to you? You were fine, we were fine, and then you're acting like I don't exist. So, please, Josie, explain to me what changed your mind about me because I'm at a total loss." Josie tried to swallow the words down, but they forced themselves out of her mouth anyway. She was no longer in control; The elixir was. Unlike Josie, however, the potion had no filter to decompress her words. 

"I heard you talking to Rose in your room.", Josie admitted, already feeling her damp tears clouding her eyesight. "You called me nothing; You called me desperate and naive, and you said I meant nothing to you. And, I guess a part of me always knew what we were was possibly faked, but hearing it from you felt like- God, Penelope, running me over with a bus would have been more pleasant than that." Josie wiped away her tears, but now that the dam was broken, there was no containing the onslaught of emotions Josie had avoided. "I felt so used, Penelope, so worthless. Like the sky was falling, and I was being buried under it. I felt like I couldn't breathe." Josie could feel her heartbeat race, and she began to feel like the room was spinning around her. Penelope steadied her, forcing her to sit down in one of the desk chairs. "Josie, please-" she pleaded, but Josie cut her off autonomously. "You had hurt me so badly, and for once, I wanted you to taste your own medicine. To hurt like you hurt everyone else around you. Sleeping with Jade was wrong, but I didn't care. I didn't care because at least I didn't feel the pain anymore." Josie began to cough violently, holding onto her chest tightly; It was as if she was, in the literal sense, dying to get the words out. "And the worst part," Josie breathed out in just below a whisper. "Is I don't hate you- I can't hate you. And I still love you, like a fool, today." Josie's vision began to fade in and out, and the last thing she felt before she succumbed to sleep was Penelope's arms catching her as she fell.


	6. Chapter 6

Josie awoke in a cold room, the air heavy with the smell of disinfectant spray. Josie opened her eyes groggily, reaching her hands up to try and stretch. She was stopped, however, by the tug of a needle attached to her arm. That's when Josie's consciousness began to return; Josie was in a hospital- or, more likely, the infirmary. She looked up at the IV bag hanging above her- it was full of a transparent liquid Josie could not distinguish, but Josie knew better than to rip the IV out to find out. Instead, she called out to the nurse, who came to her side alongside a face Josie did not expect- Penelope. The nurse smiled warmly at Josie, urging Penelope forward. "Well, hello sleepyhead," the nurse beamed cheerfully, reaching over to check the IV in Josie's arm. "You gave us all quite a scare there." "Why am I here?" Josie asked in confusion, realizing that she had not waken up where she had passed out. "What happened." "The elixir had shellfish extract in it.", Penelope explained, reaching up to scratch her neck nervously. "Mrs. Veele swears she didn't know, and she feels terrible. Your dad and Lizzie just went to call your mom." "It's a good thing your friend was there when you passed out.", the nurse stated, patting Penelope's shoulder. "She brought you straight here, and we were able to bring you out of shock. You're quite a lucky girl." 

Penelope blushed, hiding behind her hair as the nurse sang her praises. After a moment, sensing she was no longer needed, she left the two girls to phone Josie's father's office. Penelope stayed put on the chair by the foot of the bed, timidly. "How are you feeling?" Penelope asked with distress, her shoulders relieving her tension somewhat when Josie gave a big shrug in response. "I feel fine," Josie assured her, lying back into the cot. "I still don't understand what happened." "You turned really pale, and you stopped breathing.", Penelope explained with a shudder. "I've seen an allergic reaction before, so I brought you here." Josie sighed, placing the arm that wasn't connected to her IV behind her head. "Well, that explains why I don't remember falling asleep.," Josie stated with a soft chuckle. "Thank you, though, Penelope. If you hadn't had thought so quickly, I might have been in a lot worse of a situation." "I'm glad I was there.", Penelope sighed in relief, thinking over her words carefully before speaking again. "Do you remember anything before, y' know, you passed out?"

Josie's face fell, and she finally met Penelope's eyes. Hope- Penelope's eyes were shining with worry, of course, but there was a flickering of hope there as well. Should she lie? Pretend that she didn't remember a word she'd said to Penelope, continue to let Penelope think she hated her? As tempting as the option was, Josie knew Penelope deserved the truth. "I remember everything," Josie confessed, not oblivious to the tiny gasp Penelope lets out in response. "I know that I kinda threw a lot at you; I'm sorry." "No, Josie, don't apologize.", Penelope pleaded, her features softening somewhat. The fluorescent lighting above them made Penelope look softer- not so intimidating. That, or whatever they were giving Josie, has blurred her perception. "I'm glad you told me, and I think we should-" 

"Get the hell away from my sister, she-devil!", Lizzie hollered, pushing past Penelope to get to Josie. "You can leave now. Josie needs her family during her hour of need, not satan's incarnate." Penelope glanced over at Josie, mouthing something before turning to leave: 'tomorrow.' It was only a single word that Josie almost didn't catch, but it felt heavy in Josie's mind. As her sister and father fretted over her- forcing her to drink ungodly amounts of water and practically chaining her in bed- Josie's spirit was alive with fleeting thoughts. Penelope had saved her. Penelope wanted to talk to her; Penelope didn't hate her. Penelope knew Josie's side of the situation, but did that change anything? Not really. As hard as she tried, Josie couldn't rid Penelope's words from her mind. She had lamented on her weaknesses, laughed about them. Could Josie ever forgive Penelope for so blatantly disrespecting her, not knowing Josie heard her every word? She wasn't sure. While it was true Josie didn't hate Penelope for what she'd done, she'd lost respect for the raven-haired witch. Could Penelope redeem herself? More importantly, would Josie let her try? Exhausted, Josie sunk into the pillows on her bed. 

Her questions would have to wait until tomorrow.  
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Doing schoolwork in bed was much more comfortable than a classroom, Josie decided. With Lizzie attending her own lectures, the room was silent and dimly lit, and it was the perfect atmosphere for Josie to study under. She sped through her coursework in a matter of hours, studying for an hour more. Then, the boredom set in. It seemed that being so focused was both a blessing and a curse- Josie had strict orders from her overprotective father and her intimidating sister not to leave her bed, so without schoolwork, Josie felt bored to tears. She spent her time dozing in and out of sleep- a side effect of the drugs given to Josie to control her reaction. She was so tired that she didn't even realize another person had joined her in the room until said person spoke. 

Shaking the sleepy feeling from her body, Josie sat up, alerting Penelope. The witch placed her bookmark between the pages of the book in her hands, setting it aside. She turned to give Josie her full attention. "Before you ask, yes I skipped class to come talk to you.", Penelope explained as she scratched the polish off her nails anxiously. "I know your sister will be attached to you after class, so I decided to come when I knew she wouldn't be here." "No, you made the right choice.", Josie agreed with a yawn. "I had to insist she'd go to class today just so I could have some space." Penelope giggled under her breath, going silent. She cleared her throat, turning to open her backpack. From inside, she pulled a vial filled with the familiar deep black liquid that had sickened Josie. "It's not perfect, and yes I had to break into the potions lab again to make it, but it's the real thing.", Penelope assured her, popping the top off the vial. Before Josie could ask what she was doing, Penelope downed the liquid, gagging at the taste before recapping the bottle and placing it back in her bag. 

"You never got your chance to ask me a question.", Penelope stated, crossing one leg over the other in the chair by Josie's bed. "I heard your side while you couldn't lie, so it's only fair you get to hear mine. And this way, you know my words are genuine." Josie's eyes widened in shock; That was definitely not something in Penelope's character to do. "C'mon, I know you got some burning questions you want answered.", Penelope teased, attempting to lighten the mood. "Ask away- I'm an open book." Josie hesitated; What if she heard something that she didn't want to hear, that she couldn't swallow down? It was a risk- Penelope was enigmatic, unpredictable, and preserved; It was impossible to know what she was thinking. Still, as terrifying as the probability of that was, Josie couldn't pass up the opportunity to dig a little further into Penelope's subconscious. 

"What's your real favorite color?" Josie asked, causing Penelope to scrunch her nose up in confusion. "Pink," Penelope answered, the tops of her cheeks turning the same color as she'd mentioned. "Favorite animal?" "Turtle.", the answer came effortlessly from Penelope's lips, accompanied by a massive eye roll. "What's your biggest fear?" Josie questioned, and Penelope responded automatically. "Becoming my parents.", Penelope spoke, her voice laced with malice and unabashed bitterness. "The blood that flows through my veins is tainted; I don't want to become like them." Josie took in the answer slowly, committing it to memory. At least she was sure now that the elixir had worked. Josie took a deep breath before asking her next question. "Why did you call me those things in front of Rose?" Penelope tensed, but her face was calm. She had expected this question, steeling herself for it.

"I was terrified, Josie; Rose had threatened my bloodline, and as much as I hate them, it's been programmed within me my whole life to protect my coven at all costs, to protect myself. I told her what she wanted to hear just so she'd leave me alone.", Penelope related, shivering as she spoke. "That doesn't excuse what I did, Josie, and I felt like an awful person as soon as I'd said it. I didn't mean any of those things. What I did felt like the betrayal my parents would commit- risking love over blood- and I hated myself for it. When you avoided me, I thought Rose must have said something, but I was too ashamed to say anything. Instead, I made you out to be a villain breaking my heart when the exact opposite was true. It's one of the worst things I've ever done. That night is one of the biggest regrets of my life." In the past, Josie heard of the Park coven- the reckless death and destruction that followed their name. Most covens carried the same burden; even Josie's had its history of bloodshed and war. However, never had Josie stopped to consider what Penelope's title as the heir really meant. 

"You're not your family, Penelope.", Josie reminded her, lacing Penelope's shaking hand with hers. "You're strong and brave, and you have their courage, but that is where the similarities end. You can have both strength and compassion, Penelope. You can be both kind and fortified." A choked sound came from within Penelope's throat, and Josie could tell she was holding back a conduit filled by years of repressed emotions. "And I know that sounds crazy to you because you've always been taught that ruthlessness equals strength.", Josie continued, wiping away a stray tear from Penelope's cheek. "Your morality doesn't make you weak though, Penelope- It makes you honorable. Penny, you are the person that can change your coven- your bloodline- for the better." Josie took Penelope's face in her hands, coffee-colored eyes lost in a sea of emerald green. "You're good, Penelope; You don't have to be afraid to show it." 

Penelope buried her face into the mattress, sobs wracking her body in large waves. Josie simply sat by her side, running her hands soothingly through Penelope's hair. It pained her to see Penelope in such pain, but she realized that Penelope needed to feel this. As much as it hurt, it was healthy for Penelope to purge it from her body, instead of keeping it buried inside her like a ticking bomb. The repressed guilt, pain, and bitterness overtook Penelope, leaving her a shaking display of ardency. Josie whispered comforting words into Penelope's ear, anchoring Penelope to the present as she shattered before Josie's eyes. And when Penelope had finally silenced, her cries reduced to quiet whimpers, she looked up at Josie with red eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. To anyone else, Penelope's smeared makeup, swollen eyelids, and a persistent frown would make Penelope seem ill-favored, but to Josie, she had never looked more naturally beautiful. Josie allowed Penelope to catch her breath, handing her the box of tissues off her nightstand; Penelope took them gratefully. 

"Thank you," Penelope murmured, attempting to wipe away the residue of her emotional displays. "I'm really sorry, Josie. I know it doesn't change what I did, but I hope maybe in time you'll believe it." "Can I ask one more question?" Josie inquired, and Penelope nodded faintly. "Do you love me still?" There was no trace of apprehension in Penelope's voice, even though the elixir's effects were long gone. "Yes, of course, I love you.", Penelope professed, confusion still etched in her features. "But that doesn't change anything." "No, it doesn't. Not right now.", Josie agreed with a sigh. "I think you should start talking to someone, Penelope. I started therapy in Europe, and it was helpful; Emma would see you if you asked." Penelope nodded uncertainly in agreement. "I'm not going to say that everything will go back to normal, or that I'm not still hurt, but the important thing is I love you too, Penelope Park." Penelope's head snapped up, a small smile gracing her face. Josie returned in warmly, once again grabbing hold of Penelope's hand and squeezing it tightly. "That might not be enough right now," Josie confirmed, taking a deep, much-needed breath. 

"But it's a damn good start."   
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"Are you sure you want to do this?" Josie asked for the fourth time, and for the fourth time, Penelope nodded firmly. Standing before the closed cafeteria doors, Josie and Penelope were nervous about entering. This was their moment; The climactic moment where everything would change. Penelope brought her back to focus with a snap of her fingers. "Josie, hey, everything is going to be okay.", Penelope reassured her, though she, herself, did not look thoroughly convinced. "If they say anything, I will protect you, okay? I've got you." Josie braced herself, taking Penelope's hand. "You've got me.", she repeated to herself, feeling the familiar butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. She was still scared of their peers' reaction to seeing the two together- two starkly different worlds colliding together- but being by Penelope's side made her feel brave. "Okay, are you ready?" Penelope questioned, and Josie gave her an affirmative nod. "One...two...three." At the last count, both girls pushed the doors open with the hand not held in the other's, stepping into the noise-filled room. 

Unashamed, they were finally united; They were finally free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS NOT THE END. But it is the start of a new era in Posie's relationship. 
> 
> *Evil laugh*


	7. Chapter 7

"So, has Lizzie stopped being pissed at you yet?" Hope asked, scooting over so that Josie could join her and Landon on the bleachers. "No, and I don't think she intends to be.", Josie says with a disappointed frown. "In her eyes, being with Penelope is the biggest betrayal known to humanity. Both girls roll their eyes, while Landon keeps his focus on the game in front of them, waving a miniature flag. "That sucks- I thought she'd come around by now.", Hope states, and Josie simply shrugs. "It is what it is- she'll forgive me eventually; She's my twin, she has to." Josie looks up, her grimace turning to a grin as she waves Wendy and Diego over to them. The couple saunter over, greeting Josie before taking a seat in front of Josie and Hope. "I'm glad you guys could make it," Josie exclaims, earning a smile from Wendy. The girl seemed less energetic than usual, but not enough that Josie was overly worried. "Sorry we're late; We had to take care of something," Wendy admits, glancing over at Diego. "I'm sorry Jade and Inez didn't come; Jade just... isn't there yet with Penelope." Josie nodded her understanding. She knew that while her girlfriend and her ex-fling had somewhat of a truce between them, there was still tension between the two. "No, I understand. I'm just glad you guys decided to come and support Penny.", Josie said with a weary smile. "She was really nervous this morning." "Speaking of Penelope.", Hope stated, cutting off their conversation and pointing at the field. "There goes your girl, Jo." 

Josie's face lit up as she watched Penelope enter the field. She was dressed in a sports jersey in the Salvatore school's colors, checking the straps on her knee pads before jogging over to her teammates' rest. When Penelope had first told Josie that Emma had suggested she join an extracurricular activity, she'd never guessed her sophisticated, feminal girlfriend would choose a sport as rough and dirty as soccer. However, since Penelope had joined the team, Josie had seen a shift in the witch. Penelope seemed less burdened and melancholy, and she was slower to anger. It was harder to upset her, and Penelope was overall more content. She'd made friends with some of the witches on her team- ones who accepted Penelope and Josie. They were good people, and Josie was astounded how much therapy and a creative outlet had benefited Penelope. Which led them to this very moment- Penelope's first real, genuine game. "You got this, baby!", Josie yelled, catching Penelope's attention for a split second. Grinning, Penelope winked in her direction before jogging the rest of the way over to her team. Together, they gathered in a circle, chanting out their pregame mantra before breaking up into their respective places. 

The representatives from each team step forward, meeting the referee in the middle of the field. The opposing team shouts out heads, and the referee throws the coin into the air. It lands in the ground, and the other side cheers before getting into position. The other 10 players of each team join their representative on the field, including Penelope, positioned right in the middle of their school's side of the area. Josie bites her lip anxiously; She's nervous for Penelope, but if her girlfriend has any fears, they're not visible. Penelope looks calm, her sole focus on the ball and the other team's goal. The other side kicks off, and the game begins. Josie's sure that there's some kind of strategy the players follow, but from Josie's point of view, they seem to only be following the ball wherever it lands. Just before the other team is about to land the ball into the goalpost, Penelope swipes it away from the player's feet and starts running it to their goal. With one mighty kick, the ball flies past the distracted goalie and lands against the mesh net. Josie stands and cheers, and her friends clap right beside her. Pride shines in Penelope's eyes, and one of the older players high fives her for her excellent play. 

Before Penelope had joined the soccer team, Josie had never seen a soccer game before. Josie didn't understand why everyone disregarded the sport because from Josie's perspective, the game was more hardcore than people gave it credit for. Penelope slid around the field, as players crashed into, tripped over, and even knocked each other down. Of course, these were all accidents, and the referee would pause the game to make sure the injured player was alright. Then, the cycle began again. When halftime came, Penelope jogged over to Josie and their friends, her forehead shining with sweat. "Did you see me, baby?" Penelope exclaimed, taking a sip from the water bottle Josie offered her. "I made that goal; I fucking made it." "I saw, baby. You did great out there.", Josie praised her, smiling at her girlfriend's excitement. She leaned over just enough so that the people beside her couldn't hear. "Watching you out there is so hot.", she whispered into Penelope's ear, causing the girl's eyes to widen and her face to turn a deeper shade of red. "Well, thank you for providing the perfect distraction, babe.", Penelope joked, causing Josie to suppress an amused giggle. "I have to get back to my team, but we will finish this conversation later." Penelope left a chaste kiss against Josie's lips before returning to the field. Wendy glances over at Josie, giving her a knowing look; Josie looks away, praying that the witch hadn't heard what she'd said even though she was sure Wendy had.

Something had shifted between the two teams during the half time because when they reentered the game, there was tension in the air that wasn't present before. Penelope's team kicked off, and the second the ball was out of the center circle, one of the Salvatore school girls took control of the ball and began running it to the goalpost. The player passed it to Penelope, who was wide open to receiving the ball, but just before she could kick it past the goalie on of the opposing team's mates crashed into her, sending Penelope tumbling down to the ground. The ref's whistle sounded, waving a flash of yellow in his hand. Penelope's teammates help her up, asking Penelope something to which Penelope nods her head yes. The girl pats Penelope's shoulder in support, then returns to her position. The game resumes, but this time Penelope isn't even halfway down the field when Josie sees the opposing teammate jab Penelope in the side, kicking her leg out so that Penelope falls directly on her face. Josie stands up, ready to come to Penelope's aid, but Hope pulls her back down to her seat. "Not yet, Jo.", she mumbles, pointing to Penelope, who had already bounced back and was standing on her feet again. "Pen's not gonna give up the fight that easily. Give her a chance; She's got this."

With only a few minutes left on the clock, the opposing team performs the last kickoff, and Penelope charges toward the ball. Two of the opposite teammates flank her on both sides, but she slides the ball past the opponent's feet and to her teammate just before she goes down. When Penelope goes down, it's a hard fall, but her teammate runs the ball down the field and kick it between the goalposts before the signal rings. Penelope had taken one for the team, and it had won them the game at her expense. Penelope stays on the ground for a moment, smiling broadly despite the pain in her tailbone. Josie rushes to her side, helping her girlfriend to her feet. "Are you okay? How bad is it? C'mon, we should go to the infirmary." "What? No, I'm fine! I feel fantastic- we won!" Penelope exclaims, bouncing on her heels excitedly. "And to celebrate, I am taking my beautiful girlfriend out to dinner." Josie rolled her eyes, slinking under Penelope's shoulder to help support the wobbly girl. "Sure, we can go anywhere you want- after we get an okay from the nurses.", Josie insisted, ignoring Penelope's pouting face. The last thing you need is a concussion." "You took a pretty hard fall there, Pen.", Hope added, supporting Penelope's other side. "I hate to admit it, but your girlfriend is right." Penelope chuckled, giving in to their demands. "Okay, okay.", Penelope relented with a sigh. 

"God, I really gotta learn how to tell you no."  
___________________________________________________________  
Josie's not one hundred percent certain, but she's pretty sure she will never get bored of having Penelope's lips on hers. Especially not like this, when both of them are in such a good mood, and everything seems right as it should be. Not when Penelope's hands are gently cupping her jaw, her fingertips dancing against her cheeks. Not when the room is so frigid, but they are warm inside Josie's bed; Penelope smells of Josie's body wash, and the scent blankets both of them in the smell of vanilla and coconut. Josie moans against Penelope's mouth, her heart rate speeding as Penelope's bare hands slip under her shirt and rest on her bare skin. Penelope is so warm and so comforting, and part of Josie wonders if this is the time she's been waiting for. Typically, they'd stop at this point before more can progress, but she doesn't want the intimacy with Penelope to end. So, Josie tests the waters, straddling Penelope, and reaching for the hem of her shirt. She can't even get it above her ribcage before Penelope stops her.

"Not yet, baby.", Penelope whispers, smiling at Josie, pushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I want it to be special; You deserve for it to be special." Josie pouts at Penelope, unsatisfied. "But this is special to me- because you're here. That's all I need, Penny." Penelope chuckles, resting her forehead against Josie's. "I just need you to be patient for a little longer, Jojo. I promise it won't be much longer.", Penelope pleads, melting Josie's irritation. "You can do that for me, can't you?" Josie sighs, nodding reluctantly. "I guess.", Josie agrees, earning a chaste kiss from Penelope. The action relaxes any tension left in her body. Josie rests her head in the crook of Penelope's neck, closing her eyes and listening in to the rhythmic beating of her heart. She could wait, Josie decided, because Penelope had asked her to. Besides, there was no rush; She wasn't going anywhere, and neither was Penelope. They had a whole lifetime in front of them. So, yes, Josie could wait. 

They had all the time in the world.


	8. #BlackoutTuesday

On May 25, 2020 the nation watched in horror for nearly nine minutes as Officer Derek Chauvin ruthlessly killed George Floyd, a 41 year old black male. Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck with steady, heavy pressure as Floyd begged for his life. After nearly ten minutes, he died of asphyxiation. Some of his last words: "I can't breathe." This sparked a national outrage, leading to protests and riots all across the nation to combat a problem that has been plaguing America for way too long: police brutality. These past few days have been difficult. I have heard recounts from my friends after they were teargassed, beaten, and mocked by the police while peacefully protesting in the streets. They were shot at with rubber bullets. They were threatened to be arrested. Still, they fought on, and they are still fighting, because they know that this is a small portion of the violence that black individuals experience daily. If this disturbs you, it's because it should. What started as a movement to give Floyd and his family justice has evolved into the beginning of a new civil rights movement. This is not a "black" issue; It is a human rights issue. It is a war against racism and oppression in today's America. It is an outcry for justice and change. I will be damned if I keep my silence while my fellow brothers and sisters continued to suffer. This is not up for debate, or discussion; black lives matter, and they deserve to be fought for. I urge all of you to educate yourselves and make your voices heard. Amplify the voices of the unheard, and if you can please donate to organizations that support the BLM movement and that pay legal fees for protestors that have been wrongly arrested. Every amount helps. As for me, I will not be updating for the foreseeable future as I am doing everything I can to protect and inform the people around me, and also myself. I wish you all well and urge you to stay safe during this difficult time. ACAB. Black Lives Matter. No Justice, No Peace. - Katt

Here are some resources that you can donate to: 

Black Lives Matter   
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

George Floyd Memorial Fund  
https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

The Loveland Foundation:   
https://thelovelandfoundation.org/

Campaign Zero:  
https://www.joincampaignzero.org/

The NAACP’s Legal Defense and Educational Fund:  
https://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6857/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=15780&_ga=2.231342234.480782673.1591028794-1029022299.1591028794

Community Bail Funds:  
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/bail_funds_george_floyd

The ACLU:  
https://action.aclu.org/give/fund-every-fight-ahead

Color of Change:   
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/blackpatients?ak_proof=1&akid=42394.5191726.pitPAa&amount=5&rd=1&recurring=1&refcode=stage1_nondonors_link1&refcode2=42394_5191726_pitPAa&t=3


	9. I think I owe you all an apology...

Hi, everyone. It's been a while since we talked. I'm very sorry about that. Once the pandemic hit, a lot of things went on the backburner- my writing included. I've been so majorly stressed out with family, Corona, and then the holidays that I haven't had the mental clarity to write anything. 2020 was rough. I moved out of my mother's house, started a whole new life in a new city, and learned a lot of lessons and met a lot of people along the way. Now i'm ready to say goodbye to 2020 and get back to doing what I love- creating stories to entertain all of you. Please bear with me as I sort myself out and get everything together for the near future. Updates will be slow and infrequent- as they've always been- but I promise to put the very best of myself into every chapter, every paragraph, and every line. I'm glad to be back, and I hope you join me in this new and exciting chapter of my life. 

Love Always, Iries.


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